Torn
by katienicole426
Summary: She was born of Shadowclan, but raised in Thunderclan. Which Clan should she choose when the time comes?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Open your eyes." A soft voice purred. "You can do it, Robinkit."

The young kit sat still for a moment. She knew she could open her eyes, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to. Right now, she loved the world she lived in. What could be more comforting than this darkness? But then again, she might be missing out on an even better world.

"She'll open her eyes when she's ready." A deep meow rumbled. "Remember our last litter, Pineleaf? They took a while to open their eyes, and Robinkit is only a few days old."

"Yes, but do you remember that they're all dead now?" The soft voice meowed bitterly. Robinkit wiggled a little and contemplated opening her eyes. If she did, she'd please the soft-voiced cat, but she'd be going into the unknown. What if she didn't like having her eyes open?

"Her brothers opened their eyes yesterday." The soft voice stated. The kit felt a little irritated when she heard that. She wanted to be the best. Robinkit took one deep breath and opened her eyes. Everything around her was huge and kind of frightened her. She blinked and everything became focused. A reddish she-cat was looking down at her, her light green eyes shining proudly. "She has lovely eyes. They're yellow, almost the same as yours, Thornstar."

Robinkit followed her mother's stare and was shocked when she saw a huge silver and black tabby tom watching her with his yellow eyes.

"Is that what my eyes look like?" The little silver and white she-kit asked bravely. The tom shook his head. "They're a bit lighter than mine, but unusual nonetheless."

"This is your father, Thornstar." The reddish she-cat meowed lovingly, flicking Robinkit's ears with her tail. "I'm Pineleaf, your mother. Welcome to Shadowclan, little one."

"Can I actually see the rest of Shadowclan?" Robinkit inquired. "I've scented strange things on my brothers when they've gone for a while."

"Go ahead." Thornstar encouraged, picking Robinkit up by her scruff and carrying her out into the camp. "Wander around, figure out Clan life." He set her down and nudged her away from the nursery. Robinkit looked at him incredulously, but he just nodded and nudged her again. She shrugged and padded toward a bramble bush. A black tom came out of it and nearly ran the little kit over.

"Watch it." She hissed, unsheathing her claws. A light tabby she-cat chuckled and lightly cuffed Robinkit. "Calm down, Robinkit. It's your first day out, don't make any enemies."

The little kit let her fur lay flat and nodded slowly. "Sorry."

"It's fine." The black tom meowed, padding away from the two cats.

"I'm Fawnpaw." The she-cat greeted. "I'm guessing you're Robinkit."

"Yes." Robinkit replied coolly. "I was just exploring the camp. That tom surprised me, that's why I was so rude."

"It's fine." Fawnpaw dipped her head. "This is the warriors' den, for future reference. That was Leopardfoot. If you look closely, he's not completely black. He's more of a dark gray with a spotted tabby pelt. It's really hard to see, but his name makes sense once you figure that out. I bet you're looking for your brothers. They're in Rainheart's den, it's right over there." The tabby pointed her tail at a small cave. "She's the medicine cat."

Robinkit meowed a quick goodbye and padded over to the medicine cat's den. Three small toms came barreling out of the small cave and knocked Robinkit off of her paws.

"Get off of me!" She snarled jokingly, throwing a tiny white tom off. Only a dark tabby and a dark ginger tom remained and they were each half her size. Robinkit thrashed around and the dark ginger tom backed away, leaving only the dark tabby.

"Bring it on, Vinekit." Robinkit hissed. The dark tabby looked a bit uneasy. "Are you okay, Robinkit?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Robinkit snapped, stomping her paw into the muddy ground angrily. "Vinekit, I was just playing. You ruined it!"

"You looked serious." The white tom meowed defensively. "I thought you were going to actually try and fight him."

Robinkit rolled her eyes. "Lightkit, you worry too much. You need to take a walk on the wild side, like me."

"Ha!" The dark ginger tom burst. "You just opened your eyes, Robinkit, what do you know about the wild side?"

Robinkit thought for a moment and shrugged. "Nothing, but I bet you know bunches, Applekit. Why don't you show me?" She made sure her mew sounded sweet and sincere.

Applekit motioned for the other kits to move closely, and when they did he made sure to keep his voice low. "We're going to sneak out of camp."

"Great!" Robinkit squeaked. "How?"

"No, no, no." Lightkit argued. "We'll get caught."

"I kind of agree with Lightkit." Vinekit admitted. "I want to go, but what happens if we get caught?"

"Thornstar might not let us become apprentices until we're older than six moons." Lightkit pointed out. Applekit shot his silver and white tabby sister an unsure look. "Maybe we should wait until we're apprentices."

"You're acting like newborn kits." Robinkit insulted her brothers.

"We are." Vinekit retorted.

"Okay, if you're all going to act like scaredy-frogs, then let's just go back to the nursery." Robinkit meowed slyly. Applekit seemed to swell and he got to his paws. "Let's go. We'll go all the way to Thunderclan!"

"Be quiet." Robinkit shot him a disparaging look. "I'll follow you to the camp entrance, but we have to make sure we don't get caught."

"Follow me." Applekit order, crouching low to the ground. The four kits slunk toward a tiny path surrounded by brambles. They dashed out of camp and found themselves in a flat marshland. Robinkit didn't really like the muddy ground squishing around her paws, but she figured she'd get used to it. The four padded along for a while, but then Lightkit stopped, motioning for the others to do the same.

"Do we even know how to get to Thunderclan?" He asked.

"I guess not." Applekit replied, flattening his ears, obviously embarrassed.

"Let's keep going this way." Robinkit coaxed. "Eventually we'll get there." She took the lead and the kits trekked onward. After a while, Lightkit sat down.

"My paws ache." He whined. "I want to go back to camp."

"Me too." Vinekit agreed, sitting beside his smaller brother. "I don't want to get in trouble."

Applekit nodded. "Yeah, Pineleaf will notice that we left."

"Go back." Robinkit dared. "I'm going all the way to Thunderclan. When I get back to camp, the other cats will be so impressed that I'll probably be allowed to leave camp whenever I want. I might even get to become an apprentice early."

"I want that too." Applekit meowed quickly. "I'm staying with Robinkit."

Lightkit and Vinekit reluctantly got to their paws and followed the other kits.

"Shh." Robinkit hissed, only moments after they'd began walking again. "I hear something."

"No, Beetlepaw." A cat meowed sternly. "You're doing the wrong move. I told you to knock my paws out from beneath me, not to jump on my back."

"Sorry." A younger cat apologized. "I got excited. Wait, Spottedpelt, do you scent that?"

"Who's there?" The older cat asked loudly. "Come out."

Robinkit looked around wildly and dashed behind a large dead tree. She tried to stay motionless and even held her breath when she saw a tortoiseshell she-cat approach Applekit, Vinekit, and Fallowkit.

"What are you three doing out of camp?" She meowed, obviously exasperated. "Why Pineleaf had kits, I'll never understand."

"What do you mean?" Applekit asked bravely. "Do you know our mother?"

"She's my littermate, frog-brain." The she-cat chuckled. "I'm taking you back to Pineleaf. Beetlepaw, come grab Lightkit, we're going to have to end training early today."

"Aww, it's only sunhigh." A dusty brown tabby she-cat complained, picking Lightpaw up by his scruff.

"Applekit, are you okay with walking?" Spottedpelt asked the little tom. He nodded and she latched her teeth in Vinekit's scruff.

"What about Robinkit?" Applekit meowed loudly. Robinkit silently cursed her brother and watched as Spottedpelt set down Vinekit. "She's still in camp, we'll go see if she's opened her eyes."

"But-"

"No arguing." The tortoiseshell picked Vinekit up again and started back toward camp. Beetlepaw followed closely behind with Applekit beside her. The silver and white she-kit let out a huge sigh of relief and decided to continue on to Thunderclan. She would be a Shadowclan hero.

**Hey! I decided to delete Thieves because I didn't like where I'd gone with the story, but this is the re-write of it. Read and Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Briarkit, let's play."

The kit blinked her eyes blearily and could barely make out the dark tabby tom in front of her.

"Birchkit?" She groaned. "Why are you up so early? It's barely dawn."

"Darkpatch, make her get up and play moss-ball with me." Birchkit whined. A white she-cat with gray patches picked Briarkit up and set her on her paws. "Play with your brother. Don't you want to meet the Clan?"

"I met the Clan a couple days ago." Briarkit reminded her mother.

"Go play with your brother." Darkpatch insisted, nudging the little silver and white kit toward the nursery entrance. "And visit Blizzardtail while you're at it. I want to know if Ravenkit has been bothering her."

"I'm sure she hasn't." Briarkit assured. "Blizzardtail's been hinting at Ravenpaw being the next medicine cat."

"That's great." Darkpatch purred. "Now get going."

Briarkit sighed and padded out of the nursery, with Birchkit following closely behind her. She headed toward the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a small mouse, tossing it to her brother. "Eat this quick, Birchkit. We can get a good start to the day now."

"I thought you wanted to sleep." Birchkit meowed between mouthfuls. Briarkit picked out a nice vole for herself and laid on her belly beside her littermate. "Well, now that I'm up, thank you very much, I want to get going."

"Makes sense." Birchkit replied, finishing the mouse quickly. "Hurry up, I want to go see Blizzardtail."

"I'm going to go get Sandpaw really quick." Briarkit decided, taking one more bite of the vole. "He'll probably want to see her."

"Remember to make sure he's not doing anything right away today." Birchkit got to his paws and shook himself a little. "Last time you got him in trouble, so just be sure."

"Whatever." Briarkit rolled her eyes and padded toward a clump of ferns beside a tree stump. "Sandpaw." She whispered loudly. "Get up."

A scuffling sound made the silver and white kit back up a little. She sat down and waited for the familiar sandy pelt of the apprentice to come through the ferns, but she was surprised to see a blue-gray she-cat tumble out.

"Sorry Jaypaw." Briarkit mumbled. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

The she-cat shook her head. "I guess it's fine, Briarkit. I was on a late patrol last night and Brackenclaw said I could sleep in today, but it looks like that's not going to happen."

"I can understand." Briarkit replied. "I was up late playing with Sandpaw last night and I was going to sleep in this morning, but Birchkit woke me up really early."

Jaypaw tried to look annoyed, but she didn't succeed. "I can't stay mad at you, Briarkit. I take one look at your face and my heart melts, you're so sweet."

Briarkit scrunched her nose like she'd smelled something bad. "Yuck! Don't call me sweet. I'm a tough warrior."

"No you're not." Jaypaw chuckled. "You're a sweet little kit. Why do you think Darkpatch calls you 'my sweet'?"

"Because I would taste sweet if she ate me." Briarkit retorted sarcastically, obviously irritated. "Where's Sandpaw?"

"He went to Blizzardtail's den earlier." Jaypaw answered, starting toward the fresh-kill pile. "Go tell him he snores and I can't wait until he becomes a warrior."

Briarkit snorted and went back to her brother. "Let's go, Birchkit. Sandpaw's already with Blizzardtail."

They raced each other through a tunnel of ferns toward a crack in a rock.

"Beat you." Birchkit meowed breathlessly.

"You're half my size." Briarkit snapped. "And it didn't count because you got a head start."

Birchkit's jaw dropped. "You can't do that! I won fair and square."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Kits, kits." A long-haired white she-cat meowed gently, approaching the young cats. "Don't focus on who won, just focus on doing your best."

"Alright Blizzardtail." Birchkit meowed begrudgingly. The two cats looked expectantly at Briarkit.

"I'm not agreeing to that." The she-kit squeaked indignantly. "I obviously would have won if he was the same size as me, and if he wouldn't have had the head start."

"Put a mouse in it, Briarkit." A sand-colored tom cuffed her softly. "We all know you lost."

"Sandclaw, we meet again." Briarkit hissed playfully, crouching low to the ground. "You may have defeated me last time, but I've been honing my skills ever since. You will not defeat me again."

The tom purred and crouched too. "Briarleaf, I've been looking forward to this day. I will avenge the death of my sister."

Briarkit got out of the crouch and glared at her friend. "Sandpaw! I told you to call me Briarscratch, not Briarleaf. It makes me sound like a kittypet."

"You look like one." Sandpaw prodded Briarkit's side.

"I can't help it!" She wailed. "I'm just big."

Blizzardtail gave the apprentice a hard stare with her usually gentle green eyes. "Sandpaw, you know she's sensitive about her size. Don't make fun of her for it. How would you like it if someone made fun of the tufts on your ears?"

Sandpaw flattened his ears and shot Briarkit an apologetic look. The kit shrugged and leaped onto him. They play-fought for a few moments, but finally Briarkit pinned Sandpaw down.

"I let you win." He insisted.

"Who cares, it still counts." Briarkit taunted. "Wow, you're going to be a warrior any day now and you got beat by a three moon old kit."

"To be fair, you're nearly his size." A sleek black she-kit meowed, sauntering up to the cats. Briarkit narrowed her eyes. Ravenkit was definitely going to be a beautiful cat, but she had no interest in anything but becoming a medicine cat. Too bad for the toms that would fall for her. Briarkit had already decided that she would never have a mate. She was planning on becoming the leader of Thunderclan, and then all four Clans. She would be the leader of leaders. Briarkit didn't need anybody but herself.

"I want to talk to you, Briarkit." Sandpaw's meow interrupted the kit's thoughts. She glanced at him and nodded, padding away from the other cats. Sandpaw followed and when they were out of ear-shot, the two sat down.

"What is it?" Briarkit asked.

"I wanted to know if you were still having those dreams." The sandy tom admitted. Briarkit nodded slowly and a defeated look came into her eyes. "Yes, I have one almost every single night."

"Tell me about them." Sandpaw pressed his pelt against hers. "Tell me what happens in them."

Briarkit sighed. "I open my eyes to darkness, and there's cats all around me, but I can't see any of them. They're whispering the word traitor over and over again, pushing against me. Then there's this pair of yellow eyes staring at me. I get frightened and try to wake up, but I have to wait for what seems like moons and then everything fades away. I hate it."

"Why would they call you a traitor?" Sandpaw wondered.

"I don't know." Briarkit snapped. "If I did, maybe the dream would go away."

"Isn't there others?"

Briarkit nodded and shivered a little. "Yes, but I can't remember them when I wake up. All I know is that I'm always scared."

"That's so strange." Sandpaw murmured. "I'm sorry that you have to deal with this at such a young age."

"It's fine." Briarkit shrugged. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity." Sandpaw pressed against her pelt. "I understand having bad dreams, so I feel your pain."

Briarkit tilted her head to one side. "You have bad dreams?"

Sandpaw dipped his head and shuffled his paws. "It's just one, but I get it every once in a while. You see, when I was just a young apprentice, my mother was killed by a small group of rogues. They'd been bothering Thunderclan for moons and a couple of warriors had decided to get rid of them once and for all. My mother was in the small patrol and I wanted to join, so I followed them. The patrol was in no shape to attack the rogues and were soon overcome. I hid in the bushes, but I was too scared to go out and help. I had to watch as my mother was shredded by them. I watched the life drain from her. Some nights, I dream of that day, but it happens to other cats I care about, not just Gingertail."

"Like who?" Briarkit prompted. "If you're okay with telling me."

"It's fine." Sandpaw replied. "I've seen it with Blizzardtail getting killed, and my father, Brackenclaw, and-" His meow trailed away.

"Who else?" The silver and white kit pressed. "I won't make fun of you."

"I'll tell you some other time." Sandpaw meowed, getting to his paws. "I don't really like talking about it."

"Fine." Briarkit conceded, her ears drooping. "Let's talk about something fun."

Sandpaw sat back down and nodded. "How about me becoming a warrior soon?"

Briarkit bounced a little. "That's going to be so cool! I bet your name will be Sandclaw."

The sandy tom shook his head. "I don't think so. Dawnstar isn't the type of cat that gives warriors their names based on their appearances, she's more focused on them as a cat. I bet you'll be Briarleaf, no matter how much you dislike that name. You're prickly, so it fits you perfectly!"

Briarkit snorted and playfully batted at the tom. "Whatever. I just want to be an apprentice already. I hope I get a good mentor."

"I bet you'll get a young mentor." Sandpaw meowed thoughtfully. "Thunderclan is doing well this Newleaf, so Dawnstar will probably let the younger cats start to take over."

"I bet I'll get either you or Mapleshade." Briarkit wiggled excitedly.

"I hope it's not Mapleshade." Sandpaw replied darkly. "There's something off about her. Sometimes she goes missing for entire nights."

"She's the best warrior ever." Briarkit gushed. "She's great in battle."

"You like battles?"

Briarkit unsheathed her claws and dug them into the soft ground. "Who wouldn't? I can't wait until my first battle."

Sandpaw flinched a little bit at the kit's eagerness. "In battles, you lose the ones you love."

"I don't care." Briarkit hissed, a red haze engulfing her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Birchkit! We're becoming apprentices, right now!" Birchkit meowed excitedly, leaping onto his littermate's back. "Darkpatch says we need to groom ourselves. Tigerfang said he was really hoping we get good mentors."

"Our father actually talked to us?" Briarkit asked sarcastically, but realized how petty she sounded when she remembered that they would becoming apprentices. "Never mind, can I go tell Sandcloud?"

Her best friend had become a warrior just days after their talk about bad dreams.

"I think you'll have time, but make sure you hurry." Birchkit replied,jumping off of her and wiggling excitedly. Briarkit got to her paws and ran toward the warriors' den.

"Sandcloud? Are you in there?" She whispered loudly. The sandy tom had become a warrior two moons ago, right after they'd talked about their bad dreams. He emerged from the den and yawned widedly. "What's up?"

"I'm becoming an apprentice." Briarkit puffed out her chest. Sandcloud's eyes lit up and he touched noses with her. "That's great! I wonder who you'll get for a mentor."

"I hope it's you." Briarkit replied, but secretly she kind of wanted Mapleshade as her mentor. The ginger and white she-cat was a great warrior and had even created some new battle moves. Many Thunderclan cats were betting on her becoming the next leader. If Mapleshade did become leader, she'd probably make Briarkit her deputy. Most cats did favor their apprentices, no matter their skills.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey-" Dawnstar began the familiar call.

"Let's go." Sandcloud barged past Briarkit and raced toward the pale tabby leader. She looked down at the young warrior and her green eyes sparkled a little.

"Briarkit! Where are you, my sweet?" Darkpatch celled, pushing her way through the growing crowd of cats. The silver and white tabby shrunk and tried to hide behind a black tom, but her mother spotted her with ease.

"Darkpatch, I told you not to call me 'my sweet' anymore." Briarkit whined quietly as the gray and white she-cat reached her.

"You're always going to be my sweet little kit, even when you've become a warrior." The queen began grooming her squirmy kit.

"This is one of my favorite ceremonies." Dawnstar began, flicking her tail as a signal for the cats to quiet down. "By naming apprentices we show that Thunderclan is strong, and that is precisely what I'm doing now. Ravenkit, Birchkit, and Briarkit have reached their sixth moon and are ready to become apprentices." She flicked her tail again, this time beckoning the kits toward Highrock. When they were at the base of the huge rock, she continued. "Birchkit, from now on you'll be known as Birchpaw. Fallownose, you'll be his mentor. He isn't your first apprentice, so I know that you'll train him well."

The dark tabby kit touched noses with a dusty brown tom.

"Briarkit," Dawnstar went on. "you'll be called Briarpaw. Your mentor will be Mapleshade. Mapleshade, this is your first apprentice and I trust you to teach her all you know."

The ginger and white she-cat made it her way toward the new apprentice and touched noses with her. Briarpaw swelled with pride, but deflated a little when she saw how disappointed Sandcloud was.

"And finally," Dawnstar waved her tail excitedly. "Ravenkit will be Ravenpaw. She's chosen a special place in the Clan, and Blizzardtail will be her mentor. May Starclan look down on these three cats as they train to become warriors."

"Birchpaw! Briarpaw! Ravenpaw!" The Clan yowled. The three new apprentices sat at the front of the Clan with their mentors, all six pairs of eyes were nearly glowing with pride and excitement. Briarkit looked at Darkpatch and saw that her blue eyes were shining with love and delight. Beside her was a dark tabby tom, and his amber eyes reflected Darkpatch's .

"Tigerfang sure looks happy." Mapleshade murmured. "It's probably because you three are his first kits."

Briarpaw looked up at the she-cat and nodded. "He's hardly talked to us since we were kitted, but maybe he wants to now."

"Toms are like that." Mapleshade replied dismissively. "They don't know how to act around kits, but they generally try to have a relationship with them when they're older."

The Clan began to disperse and cats came up to the new apprentices to congratulate them.

"This is great, Briarpaw!" A blue-gray she-cat meowed excitedly. "We get to be denmates now. You should make your nest next to mine."

"You're the only other apprentice, Jaypaw." Briarpaw chuckled. "Of course my nest will be next to yours."

"Where will I sleep?" Ravenpaw wondered aloud, her green eyes glittering with concern. Blizzardtail wrapped her feathery white tail around the black she-cat's shoulders. "You can sleep in the medicine cat's den with me."

"Okay." The young she-cat seemed reassured and visibly calmed down. "Can we start now?"

"Of course." Blizzardtail purred. "You already know most of the herbs, but I'll just make sure."

The two she-cats padded away from the small group of cats and Briarpaw looked around, trying to find Sandcloud. She spotted him slipping out of camp and her heart sank a little. Why didn't he want to congratulate her? They were supposed to be best friends, for Starclan's sake.

"He's just disappointed." Mapleshade whispered in the silver and white she-cat's ear. "Don't worry, he'll come around."

"I'm so proud of you, my sweet." Darkpatch gushed, leaving Tigerfang with Birchpaw and Fallownose. "You're going to be a wonderful warrior." She turned to Mapleshade. "Please train her well."

"I wouldn't think of doing anything else." The ginger and white she-cat dipped her head respectfully. "Come on, Briarpaw, I want to show you the territory before we go to the Moonstone tonight."

Briarpaw's eyes widened. "We're going to the Moonstone?"

"Yes." Mapleshade chuckled. "All cats have to do it before they become warriors, so I figure we'll get it done early."

"Great!" Briarpaw could hardly contain her excitement. "Are we going to see all of the territory?"

Mapleshade tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure if we'll be able to make it all the way around, but we can sure try."

"This is going to be so awesome!" Briarpaw babbled.

"We'd better get going." Mapleshade started toward the camp entrance. Briarpaw began following, but stopped when she saw that Birchpaw and Fallownose weren't joining them. "What about Birchpaw?"

Maplenose halted and whipped around, thrusting her face into the young apprentice's. "You don't need him, do you?" She asked, a sneer in her voice. Briarpaw flinched, but held her ground. "I don't need anyone."

Mapleshade nodded and sat down calmly. "You're already off to a great start. Now, lesson one. Look at Birchpaw. Does he really look like a Thunderclan warrior?"

Birchpaw shrugged, watching her brother pounce on a stray leaf. "Not exactly, but we're new apprentices."

"But think of Ravenpaw." The ginger and white she-cat argued. "She's dignified like a true medicine cat. And if that's not enough, follow me." She led Briarpaw out of camp and into the forest. The silver and white tabby looked around in awe, taking in all the sights at once. The forest was breathtaking, even in Leaf-fall.

"Look at yourself." Mapleshade ordered, pausing at a small puddle. Briarpaw obeyed and looked into the water. She was astounded when she saw herself. "I'm so big!" She breathed.

"You're not really that big." Mapleshade replied, chuckling a bit. "You have really thick fur, but you are rather large for your age. You're bigger than Jaypaw, and you're nearly as big as Sandcloud. Think of the advantage you'll have in battle, not of your looks."

Briarpaw nodded and stared at herself, studying every inch of her face. She had wide-set yellow eyes that were angled a bit at the ends. They were different, but not unattractive. Her fur was thick, like Mapleshade said, and it was silver and white with tabby stripes. Her ears had no tufts, which made Briarpaw a little disappointed. She'd hoped for ones similar to Sandcloud's.

"Don't focus on your looks." Mapleshade cuffed her new apprentice. "Focus on how you hold yourself. You look like you're a warrior already. Be confident and proud."

The silver and white she-cat dipped her head and looked again, this time ignoring her eyes and fur. What she saw shocked her. "I do look like a warrior."

"It's what's inside that the other cats truly see." Mapleshade rumbled, her meow lowering to nearly a whisper. "Focus on yourself and you will go far. Compare yourself to any other cat and you know that you already have an advantage. I'll be the next leader, and I'm already impressed with what I see. Train as hard as you can, whenever you can and you could be my deputy. Do you understand?"

Briarpaw narrowed her eyes and nodded. "Of course I do. I'll be the best warrior ever. But how do you know you'll be the next leader?"

Mapleshade leaned in closer to Briarpaw. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course."

"First off, I see a bit of darkness in you." Mapleshade meowed quietly.

"Is that bad?"

The ginger and white she-cat shook her head. "Of course not! It makes you stronger. You're not distracted by emotion like the other cats."

"What's the secret?" Briarpaw asked.

"Brackenclaw won't be deputy for much longer, I can promise you that." Mapleshade murmured. "You're going to help me become the next deputy. I have a darkness in me, but yours has potential to be greater than my own. You have more ambition than me, and I can already tell that you'll be more dangerous and deadly when it comes to getting what you want. When you've become a warrior, you'll kill Brackenclaw for me."

Briarpaw backed up a little bit, but thought about it. With Brackenclaw gone, Mapleshade was sure to be the next deputy, and soon the next leader. Once they'd gotten rid of Dawnstar, then Mapleshade would be in charge, and Briarpaw would be her deputy, and then her plan of taking over all four Clans would be within a claw's reach.

"So?" Mapleshade prompted.

"I'll do it." Briarpaw hissed, unsheathing her claws.

"Make sure you keep this a secret, or you'll be with Starclan."

Briarpaw snorted. "I'm not planning on meeting Starclan anytime soon."

"Perfect." Mapleshade purred. "At this rate you _will _be the greatest warrior the Clans have ever know, after me of course."

Briarpaw chuckled to herself. _That's what you think._

**Yo! Whatcha think of my story? I've decided to make Briarpaw a little darker than I'd initially planned on. Tell me what you think by reviewing!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Get up, Briarpaw."

The silver and white apprentice blinked blearily and saw a sand-colored tom leaning over her. She rolled out of her nest quietly, so as to not wake Jaypaw or Birchpaw up.

"What is it, Sandcloud?" She asked, obviously irritated. The tom flicked his tail over her mouth and slid out of the apprentices' den. Briarpaw followed him into the camp and felt anger bubbling up inside of her when she realized that it was only moonhigh.

"I just went to sleep!" She hissed, unsheathing her claws.

"I'm sorry, but I needed to talk to you." Sandcloud's amber eyes glowed in the moonlight. "You've been an apprentice for just half a moon, but I feel like I haven't seen you for seasons. Take a walk with me, just for tonight."

Briarpaw hesitated, Mapleshade would be furious if she found out that she'd been skipping sleep to be with a silly tom, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. What Sandcloud said was true, which made Briarpaw even more willing to sneak out of camp. Mapleshade had been training her every day from sunrise to sunset, working on battle training or hunting, with the occasional border patrol thrown into the mix. Birchpaw and Jaypaw had been given the responsibility of taking care of the elders' den and the nursery, and they'd had begun to resent Briarpaw.

"Well?" Sandcloud pressed. "You don't have to, but I've really missed you."

"Okay." Briarpaw sighed, following Sandcloud toward a small path out of the camp.

"It's a secret way out." Sandcloud meowed mischievously. "Come on, it'll be fun."

Briarpaw giggled, surprising herself. She sounded like an empty-headed she-cat. Sandcloud paused and stared at Briarpaw, with a touch of longing in his eyes. "That laugh made you sound like yourself again."

Briarpaw flinched and narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about? I am myself, I haven't changed."

Sandcloud snorted and shook his head. "You're not the same at all. As soon as Mapleshade began training you, you turned into a different cat. You've become colder and separated yourself from your friends, including me. And you know what? That really hurts."

"Let's leave camp before we wake someone up." Briarpaw replied.

"Before we wake Mapleshade up, you mean." Sandcloud retorted. Briarpaw bristled and bared her teeth. "Yeah, so? Maybe I actually care about what my mentor thinks of me."

Sandcloud grunted and padded into the forest, leaving Briarpaw behind. She felt an angry shiver go down her spine and she dashed after the sandy tom.

"You don't care what your mentor thinks of you." Sandcloud growled, whipping around to face Briarpaw. "Mapleshade scares you out of your fur. That's why you didn't want to wake her up, you know that she would shred you if she knew you were coming out here with me."

Briarpaw's yellow eyes widened and she sat down. "So why are doing this? Just let me go back."

"I didn't make you come out here." Sandcloud meowed, his face twisting with anguish. "You were my best friend, Briarpaw, but something's missing. Do you want to talk about it?"

Briarpaw shook her head. "I'm fine. Mapleshade is making me the best warrior I can be. You know that I want to be a leader, and she's helping me attain that goal. Haven't you noticed that I've surpassed Jaypaw? Mapleshade said I could be a warrior after just three moons of training, but only if I do everything she tells me to do. She's pushing me, that's all."

"She's training you to become a monster." Sandcloud replied sadly. "I've seen how she trains you. Battle training is supposed to be with sheathed claws, but that's not how Mapleshade does it. It's brutal."

"That's real life." Briarpaw spat. "In battle, other cats won't take it easy on anybody, so why should training be any different?"

Sandcloud rolled his eyes. "Okay, forget about it. I just wanted to have fun tonight."

"We can still do that." Briarpaw insisted. "Let's catch up first, though. I want to know how you've been doing."

"Great, actually." Sandcloud meowed, returning back to his usual calm. "You know that Graywing is expecting kits, right? Well, Brackenclaw said that when her kits are ready to be apprenticed, I might get to mentor one."

"That's great, Sandcloud." Briarpaw purred, trying to forget how furious Mapleshade would be with her. "Mapleshade said that we're going to go hunting all day tomorrow, and that I can go to the Gathering. Do you get to go?"

Sandcloud nodded. "Yes, but I don't have the leisure of hunting all day. I'm on the dawn patrol and then I have to help Jaypaw clean the elders' den and get rid of their ticks."

"I can't help that." Briarpaw snapped. "I'm just an apprentice. I don't get to choose what I do."

Sandcloud let out a bitter laugh. "You are the most entitled apprentice I've ever seen. I understand that it's not your fault, but it isn't fair. Mapleshade is making you a lazy Clan cat."

Briarpaw felt a red haze begin to engulf her and she shoved her face into Sandcloud's. "I'm not a lazy cat. I've worked my tail off every day since I became an apprentice. I'm up before dawn and Mapleshade pushes me until I can barely walk, and then I still have to hunt for the Clan so I can eat when I get back to camp. When I'm finally done with everything, then I get to eat for the second time since I've woken up, and then at last, I get to go to sleep. The next day, I do the same thing, maybe with a patrol, if I'm lucky." Her meow was sneering and spiteful. "You don't know anything about me."

"Not anymore, I don't." Sandcloud retorted. "We used to share everything, but like I said before, you're a different cat."

"Mapleshade said that relationships would only make me weak." Briarpaw admitted. "She said that I needed to be able to stand on my own and not have to worry about anyone else."

"I'll always be there for you." Sandcloud murmured, pressing against the silver and white apprentice. "You are, and always will be, my best friend."

Briarpaw purred lowly and sat down. "Thanks, Sandcloud. I really like having you as a friend, but Mapleshade won't let us be near each other."

Sandcloud tilted his head to one side. "Why don't we just meet at night, away from all the other cats? Nobody would have to know, so there's no harm. We'll probably regret it in the morning, but it's worth it, as long as we're friends again."

Briarpaw felt a warmth slide through her body. "I like that idea. Every night?"

Sandcloud shrugged, obviously elated by Briarpaw's decision. "Whenever we feel like it. When Mapleshade is sharing tongues in the evening, we can share a piece of fresh-kill or something. We'll talk about what we'll do that night while we're eating."

The two young cats sat in the forest, letting the moonlight bathe over them. A strange calm came over Briarpaw and she leaned against Sandcloud, letting herself feel free for the first time since she'd been apprenticed. Even though it had only been half a moon, she felt like Mapleshade had made her a prisoner. Maybe she didn't have the darkness that Mapleshade saw in her. Briarpaw gnashed her teeth and silently hissed at herself. She did have the darkness, and she would coddle it like a twoleg coddled their kittypet. She would become a greater warrior than Mapleshade could ever dream of. She would kill Brackenclaw and help Mapleshade become leader, but then she'd kill her after she'd been appointed deputy. She'd become the next leader, and soon she'd control all four Clans.

"Briarpaw?" Sandcloud asked. The she-cat hesitated. Should she stay and be with Sandcloud? If she did, she'd have her best friend back. If she went back to her nest, she'd be well-rested and ready to take on the day tomorrow. But one night couldn't hurt anything, right? Briarpaw's heart sank when she realized that she'd already agreed to meet Sandcloud whenever she could.

_I can still meet Sandcloud at night and become the best warrior the Clans have ever known._

"Sorry." She meowed quickly. "Do you want to have a race?"

**Hello everyone who reads this! Thank you to AtomicFail, Redwhisker of Shadowclan, and Weepingtears for reviewing. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Do you want to be in your first battle?" Mapleshade asked, her amber eyes shining excitedly. Briarpaw nodded vigorously and stopped practicing her pouncing. "When?"

Mapleshade purred and a dangerous gleam came into her eyes. "Right now. If we start toward Shadowclan immediately, we can catch up with the battle patrol. Remember, leave no cat unharmed. Try to maim or kill. In fact, if you kill your first cat now, it'll be easier in the future. The first one is always the hardest."

"Okay." Briarpaw dipped her head and unsheathed her claws, digging them into the ground. "Let's go."

Mapleshade led the silver and white apprentice to the Thunderpath. Briarpaw opened her mouth and turned back toward the trees, after they'd reached the hard black ground. "I can barely scent them, but the battle patrol is nearby." As she spoke, Brackenclaw, Darkpatch, Tigerfang, Dustfur, Sandcloud, Fallownose, Birchpaw, and Jaypaw emerged from the forest. Darkpatch padded up to Briarpaw and touched noses with her. "What are you doing here?"

"We want to go to Shadowclan with you all." Briarpaw meowed breathlessly, Mapleshade's excitement reflected in her yellow eyes. Darkpatch looked back at Brackenclaw and shook her head. "You can't, you've only been an apprentice for half a moon. We shouldn't even be attacking Shadowclan today. The Gathering is tonight and Starclan will be angry."

Briarpaw puffed out her chest. "I know all the best battle moves and I've been practicing them since I was apprenticed. I can hold my own, Darkpatch."

"I know you can, my sweet." The black and white she-cat licked Briarpaw on the top of her head. "But you'll always be my kit. I'll always worry about you, no matter how great of a warrior you are."

"I think she should go." Mapleshade put in. "What she said is true, she has been training every single day. I believe she can take any cat on in battle."

Brackenclaw nodded. "Okay, let's go. Make sure that we stay quiet, we don't want Shadowclan to know we're there until we're at their camp."

Briarpaw felt a rush of adrenaline course through her body. She would leave no cat unscathed. She would kill her first cat.

"I think you'll do great." Sandcloud meowed quietly, as Mapleshade, Tigerfang, and Dustfur crossed the Thunderpath. Briarpaw discreetly pressed against him. "How do you know?"

"Look at you, you're huge." Sandcloud joked. "All you'd have to do is sit on whoever you're battling and they'd beg for mercy."

Briarpaw snickered and playfully batted at him. "I'm not even as big as you."

"Briarpaw!" Mapleshade called. The silver and white apprentice rolled her eyes and dashed across the Thunderpath.

"That was foolish." Mapleshade scolded. "You need to be careful when you're crossing the Thunderpath. Look both ways. And don't think I didn't catch that exchange with Sandcloud. Remember, you can associate with other cats, but don't get too close. They _will _make you weak when it matters most."

Briarpaw dipped her head. "Sorry, Mapleshade. He was just telling me how good I'm going to do."

Mapleshade purred. "Well, you did learn from the best."

Briarpaw chuckled, but inside she was irritated. Sure, Mapleshade was her mentor, but she didn't know everything. Briarpaw had been training so hard that she was nearly as skilled as a seasoned warrior. Mapleshade may be the best now, but soon Briarpaw would overtake her.

"Are you coming, Briarpaw?" Tigerfang asked. Briarpaw blinked and realized that the rest of the patrol was already heading into the marshy lands that Shadowclan called their territory. She nodded and began padding alongside her father. The dark tabby tom glanced over at Briarpaw and opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. Briarpaw looked over at him and flicked his ears with her tail. "You know, when we're around each other, it doesn't need to be awkward."

Tigerfang purred and head-butted the apprentice's side. "I know that; I was thinking of something to tell you, but nothing came to mind."

"Tell me that you think I'm amazing." Briarpaw suggested, half joking. Tigerfang's gaze softened. "I already think that, Briarpaw. You've progressed so much faster than any apprentice I've ever seen. You will be a great warrior."

Briarpaw felt a warmth spread through her body, from her nose to her tail tip. That meant more to her than she'd expected.

"Beetlepaw, go tell the Clan we're being attacked." A shrill call broke the silence of the marshes. A dusty brown tabby she-cat burst out in front of the battle patrol and sped away from them.

"I'll get her." Briarpaw meowed immediately. Brackenclaw dipped his head and the silver and white she-cat began pursuing the enemy warrior, leaving the rest of the patrol to deal with a reddish she-cat. The tabby she-cat was much faster than Briarpaw had anticipated, and the Thunderclan apprentice was falling behind. Suddenly, a brilliant thought flashed through her mind.

"Beetlepaw, look out!" She yowled. The she-cat slowed a little and looked around to see who had said that. Briarpaw took the opportunity and caught up to the tabby. She unsheathed her claws and lashed out at Beetlepaw. The apprentice looked at Briarpaw, completely confused as to what was going on. Briarpaw hissed and began battering the Shadowclan cat with blow after blow. Beetlepaw began to grow still, so Briarpaw slowed her attacks, trying to think of a really good one.

_Take out one of her eyes._

The thought came out of nowhere and Briarpaw was actually surprised at how cruel it was, but in all honesty, she liked inflicting pain on others. She aimed a blow at Beetlepaw's right eye and watched in shock and awe when the blood began flowing from the she-cat's eye socket.

"My eye!" Beetlepaw screeched. "What did you do to my eye?"

"It's gone." Briarpaw meowed breathlessly, frozen to the ground. This was the first time she'd actually physically harmed another cat without Mapleshade egging her on. Beetlepaw's cries of pain and fury must have been heard by some Shadowclan warriors because a black tom and a gray tom ran up to the apprentices. The black tom's eyes widened when he realized what had happened. "Didn't your mentor teach you that a warrior doesn't have to maim to win? Beetlepaw will be forever scarred from your foolishness."

"I'm not foolish." Briarpaw replied simply. "I meant for this to happen. I was aiming for her eye."

The black tom bared his teeth and leaped toward Briarpaw, but the she-cat was too fast for him. She dodged his attacks and began landing blows of her own. While they were focused on each other, the gray tom began helping Beetlepaw to her paws.

"Not so fast." A familiar hiss made Briarpaw sigh with relief. Mapleshade leaped onto the gray tom and began savagely clawing him. Beetlepaw whimpered quietly and watched the cats fight with her one good eye.

"Has the Clan been warned?" The black tom asked, rolling away from Briarpaw. Beetlepaw shook her head and the tom scrambled away from Briarpaw. He was headed toward the Shadowclan camp, so Briarpaw started after him, but Beetlepaw moved so she was in the way.

"Move." Briarpaw hissed, pushing Beetlepaw out of the way.

"No." The other apprentice stood her ground, and Briarpaw had to admit she was impressed with the she-cat's spirit.

"I don't want to have to take out your other eye." Briarpaw whispered. "I'm going to have to if you don't get out of the way."

Beetlepaw didn't move, so Briarpaw sighed and dug her claws into the tabby's left eye. The she-cat legs folded and she landed softly on the ground. Mapleshade and the gray tom stopped for a moment and Mapleshade dipped her head slightly at Briarpaw. The silver and white apprentice puffed out her chest for a moment, basking in her mentor's praise. As much as she wanted to be rid of Mapleshade, the she-cat did have a hold over her. Briarpaw did want to make her proud. The young she-cat stared down at Beetlepaw, thinking of the other apprentice's future now that her sight was gone. She would never be a warrior. Briarpaw tilted Beetlepaw's head so the tabby was facing her full on.

_It's probably best if I kill her now. She doesn't have a future. She'll never find a mate and she'll never be happy._

Briarpaw blinked and buried her claws in Beetlepaw's throat.

"Come on, Briarpaw!" The rest of the patrol had caught up to Briarpaw and Mapleshade and were heading in the direction that the back tom had just gone in. Sandcloud paused and shot Briarpaw a questioning gaze. She padded over to him and glanced back at Beetlepaw. "She didn't make it."

"What about her eyes?"

Briarpaw shrugged. "I was aiming for her ears."

Sandcloud pressed against her side. "I'm sorry. You must feel bad."

"Like Mapleshade says, these things happen." Briarpaw assured her sandy friend. Sandcloud shook his head and took off after the patrol, leaving Briarpaw with Mapleshade.

"He's dead now." The ginger and white she-cat meowed. Briarpaw turned and saw that the gray tom was lying still on the ground.

"You need to kill the black tom." Mapleshade continued. "That was Leopardfoot, the Shadowclan deputy. He knows that you clawed out one of Beetlepaw's eyes. That's not something you want him spreading around the Clans."

"Kill a deputy?" Briarpaw tried to keep her voice from squeaking, but she didn't succeed. Mapleshade chuckled and jokingly cuffed Briarpaw. "You're going to need practice."

Briarpaw snickered and started in the same direction as the rest of the cats. Mapleshade kept up with Briarpaw's pace, and they were at the Shadowclan camp in no time. They hurried through the thorn entrance and into a camp full of fighting cats.

"I'll be over by the warriors' den." Mapleshade nodded toward a bramble bush. "Go find Leopardfoot and then go to the apprentices' den."

Briarpaw nodded and ran to a big oak tree and leaped onto a low branch, trying to get a good view of the whole camp. She spotted a black pelt, but it wasn't Leopardfoot. His fur was more of a dark gray with a spotted tabby pelt. She looked and looked, but he wasn't there.

_Medicine cat's den._

The thought burst into her mind, in a similar fashion of the eye clawing idea. She jumped down and rushed over to a clump of ferns. Behind the ferns were two boulders and a cave beneath them smelled of herbs, so Briarpaw slipped in, trying to go unnoticed. Lying on his side was none other than Leopardfoot. Briarpaw could almost taste his blood in her mouth and she was nearly drooling with anticipation. She opened her mouth and did exactly what she'd imagined. Killing cats wasn't a hassle and it didn't bother her. It actually exhilarated her. Leopardfoot let out a gurgling cry, but it died away as quickly as his life did. Briarpaw nudged him a little, and when he didn't move, she rushed out of the den. She looked around for the apprentices' den, but she had no clue where it was or what it looked like, so she tried to find a Clanmate that was struggling. She spotted three young toms around Jaypaw and the blue-gray she-cat looked frightened, so Briarpaw raced over to them and leaped on a dark ginger tom. The tom flipped onto his back and Briarpaw was sent sprawling. He put a paw on each side of Briarpaw's head and hissed at her. Briarpaw flattened her ears and tried to push him off, but he didn't budge. The she-cat felt fear creeping into her mind. Mapleshade had never taught how to fight defensively.

_Come on, mouse-brain, he's only an apprentice, and you just killed the Shadowclan deputy._

Briarpaw cleared her mind and let a red haze come over her. When the red haze took control, she was an amazing fighter. She battered his stomach with her hind paws and the tom backed off quickly, wanting to avoid her thorn-like claws. The silver and white apprentice slithered to her paws and found herself face to face with the ginger tom. She stared him down, hoping her yellow eyes were filled with as much hatred as she muster. The tom's amber eyes flickered with fear and Briarpaw knew he was already defeated. She hissed and sent him reeling with a hard blow to the side. The tom scrambled to his paws and ran away, leaving Briarpaw and Jaypaw to deal with a dark tabby and a white tom. Jaypaw was panting at this point, so Briarpaw nudged her away slightly.

"Go back to camp." She whispered. Jaypaw shook her head, nodding her head toward the two toms.

"Trust me, I can take care of these two pieces of fox-dung." Briarpaw chuckled. Jaypaw blinked gratefully and slipped away from the three cats.

"Who's first?" Briarpaw asked arrogantly. The dark tabby took a step forward and bared his teeth. Briarpaw gave him a disparaging look and the tom's confidence faltered. He stood still, not knowing what to do, so Briarpaw leaned forward and gave him a nasty bite to the neck; not one that would kill, but one that would hurt for half a moon or so. The tom screeched and did exactly what the ginger tom had done. Finally, Briarpaw was left with just the white tom. Around them cats were still tumbling over each other, yowling curses at each other with every breath they could spare.

"You're going to lose, you know." The tom stated simply, in a non-threatening fashion. "What chance does a small patrol have against an entire Clan?"

"They have me and Mapleshade." Briarpaw hissed. "Now fight or run."

The tom shuffled his paws, but didn't make a move either way. Finally, Briarpaw was fed up with him and she lashed out at one of his eyes. He shrieked as her claws scored down his face, barely missing his left eye. Briarpaw bunched her muscles and prepared to deal a final blow with this irritating tom.

"Briarpaw, we need to leave." Tigerfang yowled. The silver and white apprentice tried to catch a glimpse of any other Clanmates, but she didn't see any. How had they lost the battle so quickly?

"We lost?" She asked breathlessly, racing alongside her father through the Shadowclan marshes. They'd left the broken camp behind them and hadn't met any of their own yet. Tigerfang slowed down, motioning for Briarpaw to do the same. "We didn't lose exactly. They lost three cats and we lost none. Our only issue was that Mapleshade got injured, and it's pretty bad."

"What?" Briarpaw gasped. "But she doesn't get hurt in battle."

"Every cat does, Briarpaw." Tigerfang assured her. "Brackenclaw was helping her back to camp and he called for us to retreat. We couldn't risk any more injuries."

"I didn't get injured." Briarpaw pointed out, looking her sleek pelt up and down. It was as smooth and shiny as ever.

"That's great." Tigerfang purred. "I'll tell either Brackenclaw or Dawnstar, and maybe you can go to the Gathering tonight. By the way, which cats did you fight?"

Briarpaw hesitated. Should she tell him that she killed Leopardfoot? Would that be frowned upon by other cats?

**Phew! This was a long one and it took me quite a while to write. I hope you like it! By the way, thank you to my few reviewers, I appreciate the feedback. And thanks, Redwhisker of Shadowclan for using some of my cats in your story, I liked it. It actually inspired me on the next part of this story. Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Adios!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"We're going to the Gathering now, Briarpaw." Sandcloud meowed sadly. "We can't seem weak."

The silver and white she-cat nodded and got to her paws. She glanced down at the bundle of dark tabby and white fur near her paws. "Birchpaw shouldn't have died. I should have been able to save him."

"There was nothing you could have done." Sandcloud replied, pressing against Briarpaw. "He was trying to fight a cat too experienced. You were smart and stuck to apprentices."

"No I didn't." Briarpaw meowed without thinking.

"What?" Sandcloud tilted his head. "Who did you fight besides Beetlepaw and Thornstar's sons?"

Briarpaw shuffled her paws, trying to think of a way around the question. "Those were Thornstar's sons?"

Sandcloud dipped his head. "Yeah. The dark ginger tom was Applepaw, the white one was Lightpaw, and the dark tabby was Vinepaw."

"They weren't very good."

Sandcloud chuckled. "They've been apprentices for as long as you have. You need to remember that not everyone is as talented as you."

Briarpaw sighed and pressed her nose into Birchpaw's fur. "I'm sorry, Birchpaw. I wish I could have helped you. When I come back from the Gathering I'll sit with you all night."

"You don't have to." Sandcloud murmured. "You're tired from the battle and after the Gathering you'll be so exhausted it'll be difficult just to move your paws. I'm sure Birchpaw will understand. I doubt that either Tigerfang or Darkpatch will stay up all night with him."

"He's right, Briarpaw." Darkpatch padded up behind the two cats. "I'm going to sit vigil all night, but you should go to your nest. You'll have training in the morning."

"Are you going to the Gathering?" Briarpaw asked. Darkpatch shook her head. "I'm going to help take care of Mapleshade while Blizzardtail and Ravenpaw are gone."

"Do you think she'll be ready to train me soon?" Briarpaw tilted her head. Darkpatch shook her head hesitantly. "Her wounds were pretty bad, so I think she'll have to rest for about a moon."

"Who did she fight?" Sandcloud wondered.

"A gray tom." Briarpaw replied automatically. "But he's dead."

Darkpatch licked a paw uncomfortably. "Mapleshade has never been one to have mercy on another cat. She fought Pineleaf, Thornstar's mate. That she-cat has the anger of a badger inside of her."

"How come?"

"When her sons were kits, they had a sister. I heard that one day they were out of camp when they shouldn't have been and the she-kit got lost. They lost her scent by the Thunderpath and Pineleaf's been angry and full of hatred ever since. Fawnfleet, a Shadowclan warrior, said that Pineleaf had always wanted a she-kit, but in her first litter all the kits died not too long after they were born." Darkpatch explained. "She's not one to be messed with, and Mapleshade made the mistake of attacking her."

"I bet I could defeat her with no problem." Briarpaw boasted. "I'm almost one of the greatest warriors the Clans have ever known."

"And what makes you one of the greatest warriors the Clans have ever known?" Darkpatch asked.

"Look at me, I'm amazing." Briarpaw replied, realizing her mistake. Sandcloud narrowed his eyes and Briarpaw knew that he had her figured out.

"I'd like to speak with Briarpaw in private." The sandy tom meowed. Darkpatch dipped her head and glanced at a small group of cats gathered by the camp entrance. "Talk to her in private on the way to the Gathering. It looks like Dawnstar is ready to go."

The two cats meowed a quick goodbye and hurried toward the Thunderclan leader.

"Are you two ready to go?" The pale tabby she-cat asked, looking less than enthusiastic. "We need to leave pretty quickly."

Briarpaw nodded quickly. "Of course. I wouldn't want to miss this for anything."

"Not even your brother's vigil?" Dawnstar inquired. Briarpaw thought quickly and looked down at the ground. "Of course I mourn Birchpaw's death, but life goes on, and I can't stop my life because his is gone. I have to continue to grow and learn from this situation."

Dawnstar's eyes widened, but she did a fairly good job of hiding her surprise. "That was very well spoken, Briarpaw. Mapleshade has been doing a great job of turning you into a warrior."

_Mapleshade didn't teach me how to deceive others, I did._ Briarpaw thought angrily. Mapleshade wasn't as good at fooling the other cats, which is why she wasn't the most popular cat. The other cats kind of feared her, rather than adored her. Briarpaw would have them wrapped around her paw in no time if even Dawnstar was buying her lies now.

_Am I truly lying?_ She asked herself. Birchpaw was important to her, but eventually she was going to lose him. Briarpaw was angrier with herself for not being able to prevent Birchpaw's death than his actual death.

"Are you coming?" Sandcloud's familiar mew snapped Briarpaw's attention back to the present. She dipped her head and followed the rest of the cats into the forest. After they'd been padding along for a while, Sandcloud slowed down and signaled for Briarpaw to do the same. The silver and white tabby matched her friend's pace.

"What didn't you say earlier?" Sandcloud inquired. "You avoided the question of who else you fought against."

Briarpaw sighed and tried to decide whether or not to tell Sandcloud the truth. Would he judge her? She finally came to the conclusion that he would be supportive of her no matter what.

"You can tell me anything, Briarpaw, you're my best friend, remember?" Sandcloud insisted.

"I killed Leopardfoot." Briarpaw burst. Sandcloud opened and closed his mouth, but nothing came out. Shock was evident in his expression, but he kept padding along with her, making sure the other cats didn't know that something was wrong.

"Mapleshade said I had to." Briarpaw admitted. "He saw what I did to Beetlepaw."

"But you said you were aiming for her ears."

Briarpaw realized that Sandcloud didn't know what she'd done. "I clawed out her eyes on purpose."

"You what?" Sandcloud hissed. Briarpaw shrugged. "I don't know, I just did it. When I thought about her life after that, I decided she'd be better off in Starclan, where she could see again."

"You're so confusing." Sandcloud groaned. "You do something horrible like that, but you don't realize how horrible that it was. You don't completely understand what you're doing."

Briarpaw pressed against Sandcloud. "You can help me understand."

"I will." Sandcloud purred. Briarpaw purred back, but for a different reason. She'd just deceived her best friend, the one that knew her best, and now she could lie to anybody.

"Pick up the pace, you two." Brackenclaw called. "We don't want to be the last Clan to arrive."

"Sorry." Briarpaw apologized. "We can talk later, Sandcloud. Mapleshade will be in the medicine cat's den for a while, so we won't have to meet in private anymore."

They caught up to the rest of the cats and hurried to Fourtrees. As it turned out, they were the second Clan to arrive, and judging by the scent in the air, Riverclan hadn't been there for long.

"Stay close to me." Sandcloud meowed protectively. "I don't want anything bad to happen."

"Really, Sandcloud?" Briarpaw replied disparagingly. "I think I can handle myself."

The sandy tom rolled his eyes. "I know you can, but I just want to make sure you don't get into any trouble at your first Gathering."

"Fine." Briarpaw conceded. "Do you have any friends in the other Clans?"

Sandcloud nodded vigorously. "Oh yeah, loads of them. I'll introduce you to the Riverclan cats first." He padded excitedly toward a black tom, a tortoiseshell, and a cream she-cat. The sandy tom sat down and flicked his tail for Briarpaw to do the same. "This is Ripplestripe." He meowed, glancing at the black tom. "The tortoiseshell is Brindletail, and the cream she-cat is Milkwhisker, she's the medicine cat apprentice."

"Medicine cat." Milkwhisker corrected, sadness tingeing her meow. "Goldenfur died not long after the last Gathering."

"I noticed he wasn't looking very well at the Gathering." Sandcloud commented. Briarpaw sat quietly with her mouth shut. She'd never met new cats before and she was actually really nervous. What if they didn't like her?

_Who cares? They're from another Clan._ She reminded herself. Briarpaw let them talk for a while, waiting for Sandcloud to introduce her, but he never did. Shadowclan and Windclan arrived soon after they'd met the Riverclan cats and now the small group of Thunderclan and Riverclan cats was joined by a light tabby she-cat from Shadowclan, two of the toms that Briarpaw had fought earlier, and two dark gray she-cats from Windclan that looked almost identical.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to these new arrivals?" Briarpaw meowed loudly, trying to catch Sandcloud's attention. The sandy tom nodded and glanced around at all the cats in their small group. "Well, you know Applepaw and Vinepaw from the battle earlier." He pointed his tail at the light tabby. "This is Fawnfleet, she's their Clanmate."

"Wait, you had a battle with Shadowclan_ today_?" One of the dark gray she-cats gasped. Briarpaw shrugged. "Yes, it was a little while ago. I won't bore you with the details, and Dawnstar and Thornstar will probably make an announcement about it."

"Who are you?" The other dark gray she-cat asked. "I've never seen you here before."

"I'm Briarpaw." The silver and white she-cat replied.

"I'm Flightpaw." One of the she-cats meowed. "This is my sister, Brightpaw. Most cats have a problem telling us apart, but I have a white fleck on my right ear, and Brightpaw doesn't."

Briarpaw chuckled. "Don't worry; I won't make the mistake of confusing you two."

"Did you say your name is Briar_paw_?" Fawnfleet questioned. Sandcloud nodded. "Yeah, most of the cats in our own Clan can hardly believe she's not a warrior yet."

"Really?" Briarpaw burst. The sandy tom dipped his head. "Yes. Most of them think you should be made a warrior any day now, based on how you did in the battle."

"That's not fair." Applepaw wailed. "You cheated if you're going to be a warrior soon. Why didn't you fight someone more advanced than us three?"

"You're right, Applepaw, it wasn't fair for Briarpaw to attack you and your brothers." A thick-furred reddish she-cat agreed, joining the group of cats. "She's far too experienced to be going after apprentices."

"I didn't just go after apprentices." Briarpaw argued. "And anyways, why isn't it fair? We've all been apprenticed for the same amount of time."

"It's true; she's only been an apprentice for half a moon." Sandcloud put in. The she-cat narrowed her eyes. "Really? She looks full grown."

"They're starting the Gathering, Pineleaf." Ripplestripe interrupted. The she-cat turned and looked up at the leaders on the Great Rock.

"Riverclan are doing well." A scruffy gray tom rasped. "This Greenleaf has kept us well fed and our Clan is stronger than it's been in many moons."

"He can't be leader for much longer, can he?" Briarpaw whispered. Ripplestripe gave her a hard stare, but the she-cat didn't flinch a bit.

"Hush, Briarpaw." Pineleaf soothed. "Darkstar has led Riverclan for many seasons, and he deserves to be respected."

Briarpaw rolled her eyes, but kept quiet.

"Windclan are doing very well." A tortoiseshell she-cat announced. "The rabbits run well and our warriors grow strong."

"That's Eaglestar." Pineleaf informed Briarpaw. "She's Windclan's leader, in case you didn't have that figured out already."

"Thunderclan are doing extremely well." Dawnstar meowed loudly. "We have welcomed three new apprentices, Briarpaw, Ravenpaw, and Birchpaw. Unfortunately Birchpaw died from his injuries due to a skirmish with Shadowclan today. On a happier note, Ravenpaw has decided to follow the path of a medicine cat. The prey is running well. Thornstar?"

A huge silver and black tabby tom swelled angrily and stepped forward. "That was no skirmish today, Dawnstar. That was a full out attack on our camp." Cats from Riverclan and Windclan gasped, so the tom waited until they were done to continue. "Three of our Clanmates were killed earlier today. One was just an apprentice, Beetlepaw."

Briarpaw flinched when the other Clans began murmuring. She hadn't realized how popular the apprentice was.

"Not only was Beetlepaw killed for no reason, the cat that attacked her also clawed out her eyes." The tom waited again for the Clans to calm down. "Shortleg was also killed, and so was my deputy, Leopardfoot. One of our apprentices, Lightpaw, couldn't come to his first Gathering because a certain Thunderclan apprentice nearly took out one of his eyes. Briarpaw is the cat that killed Beetlepaw, and she nearly blinded my son." His loud meow turned into a thunderous roar and his eyes flashed angrily. Briarpaw's eyes widened and she shrunk into Sandcloud's side. All the cats that had been near her earlier backed away a little bit, shocked by her cruelty. The only cats that didn't move away were Sandcloud and Pineleaf.

"Thornstar! We don't know that Briarpaw killed Beetlepaw." Pineleaf scolded. "All we know is that she was fighting Lightpaw. Maybe she was aiming for his ears."

The silver and black tom glared furiously down at the she-cat. "Why don't you ask her then?"

"Did you try to claw out Lightpaw's eyes?" The reddish Shadowclan warrior asked kindly, with no hint of anger in her soft meow. Briarpaw took a deep breath. This was important. She hadn't thought of the consequences of her actions.

"Well?" Pineleaf pressed. Briarpaw sat up straight and shook her head. "I did not try to blind Lightpaw. It was an honest mistake."

"There you go." Pineleaf meowed loudly. "This Gathering was meant to bring the Clans closer together, not further apart, Thornstar. Now, before we leave, tell the other Clans who you appointed as our next deputy."

Some of the cats gasped at the she-cat's forwardness, but Thornstar only rolled his eyes. "Rushfall is our new deputy. The Gathering is over." He leaped off the thick branch and started back towards Shadowclan. His Clan began to follow, but Pineleaf stayed behind.

"Thanks for that." Briarpaw meowed awkwardly. The she-cat dipped her head. "No worries. You remind me of someone, I just can't place it. And don't worry about Thornstar. He's my mate, so I won't be punished too severely." She purred quietly and hurried after her Clan. "I hope to see you at the next Gathering, Briarpaw."

**HELLO! This chapter took a super long time to write, but I think I did an okay job. So you should read, review, and stay awesome! **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

It had been about half a moon since the Gathering and Briarpaw was thriving in the Clan. Mapleshade's wound still wasn't fully healed, so Sandcloud was training Briarpaw for the time being. They'd become closer than they'd been before and didn't have to worry about Mapleshade. The orange and white she-cat would rest for most of the day, but her wound would be reopened by the next morning. Blizzardtail was perplexed by it, but Sandcloud had grown suspicious. He told Briarpaw that he thought Mapleshade was sneaking off at night.  
"I doubt she is." The silver and white apprentice replied with a hint of irritation. "Mapleshade is loyal to Thunderclan, so why would she sneak around?"  
Sandcloud shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she's not as loyal as you think."  
Briarpaw's hackles rose slightly, but she tried to stay calm. "She wants to lead the Clan one day. Why would she jeopardize that?"  
"Why don't you ask her?" Sandcloud dared. "I bet she won't tell you."  
Briarpaw rolled her eyes and batted at Sandcloud. "You don't even know if she's been sneaking off."  
"Let's go see Blizzardtail." The sandy tom gently pushed Briarpaw. "I want to see if she needs us to gather any herbs for her." He got to his paws and headed for the fern tunnel. Briarpaw followed, but she dragged her paws the whole way. "I hate doing this." She complained. "I'd rather train or hunt. I mean, I know it's helpful, but I hate collecting moss and taking care of the elders."  
"Everyone does." Sandcloud replied. "You're just not used to it because Mapleshade didn't make you do anything except train and hunt. She wasn't giving you the full apprentice experience."  
"I'd rather have the Mapleshade experience." Briarpaw grumbled under her breath. She loved that she got to spend so much time with Sandcloud, but she missed the training with Mapleshade. As much as she disliked the she-cat, she also deeply respected her. Mapleshade was cunning and defiant of everything normal. Briarpaw liked that about her because the two of them would be unstoppable while the other cats were mouse-brained and worried about what Starclan thought of them.  
"_Starclan_." She spat quietly. "They don't know anything. They're just a bunch of dead cats that think they can control the living."  
"I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" Sandcloud meowed absentmindedly. Briarpaw shook her head. "No, I was talking to myself. Why are you so nice to Blizzardtail?" She asked suddenly, trying to change the subject.  
"You know that she's my mother's littermate." Sandcloud replied. Briarpaw nodded. "Yes, but so is Dawnstar and you don't spend very much time with her."  
"She's the leader." Sandcloud retorted, beginning to get irritated. "Blizzardtail helped me recover after my mother died and now those bad dreams I had when you were a kit are gone."  
Briarpaw dipped her head. "So have mine. I guess I've been so tired from training that I haven't had any energy for dreaming."  
"Hello, you two." Blizzardtail's sweet meow interrupted the younger cats. "Did you need something?"  
Sandcloud purred and touched noses with the pretty white she-cat. "We were wondering if you needed any help gathering herbs or something."  
"Is Mapleshade here?" Briarpaw interjected. Blizzardtail motioned for Ravenpaw to come forward. The young black she-cat touched noses with Briarpaw. "We haven't seen Mapleshade since last night. We were hoping you would be able to find her. We've learned some information that she'll definitely want to know."  
"Of course we can." Sandcloud answered quickly. "Let's go, Briarpaw." He bounded away from the medicine cat's den and Briarpaw followed closely behind. They had just camp entrance when Mapleshade burst through, nearly running the two over.  
"We were actually going to look for you." Sandcloud explained, distrust tingeing his meow. Mapleshade narrowed her amber eyes. "Why? Do I need someone to watch over me at all times?"  
Briarpaw rolled her eyes and pushed Sandcloud a little bit. "He's being mouse-brained. Blizzardtail and Ravenpaw were worried about you because they didn't know where you were. We offered to find you because I wanted to see how you were doing."  
Mapleshade sighed and sat down. "I have some bad news for you, Briarpaw. We're going to have to halt our training for a little while."  
Briarpaw tilted her head. "Aren't we doing that now?"  
"It'll be for much longer." Mapleshade replied. "I'm expecting kits, Briarpaw."  
The young she-cat didn't know how to react. Didn't Mapleshade always tell her that she didn't need other cats? The confusion on her face must have shown because Mapleshade wrapped her tail around Briarpaw's shoulders and led her to a more private area. Sandcloud shook his head and padded back toward Blizzardtail's den.  
"I know this is hard for you." Mapleshade began. "Since the day you were apprenticed I've preached about focusing only on yourself, but I didn't manage to follow that one rule. You've done exceptional and you have so much potential, Briarpaw. You don't need other cats, but I do. You will be a greater warrior than me someday, but you'll need my help until then. Just make sure you don't make the same mistake as me. I'm going to try to still attain my goals even with these kits, but it's going to be much harder than it would have been."  
Briarpaw tilted her head to one side. "Am I still going to kill Brackenclaw?"  
"Maybe, but it will not be as soon as I would have wanted." Mapleshade answered. "I do apologize for this, but remember, you need to train just as hard as you used to. Don't let Sandcloud make you weak like him."  
Briarpaw nodded. "I'll try, but he makes me take care of the elders and gather moss almost every single day."  
Mapleshade growled a little bit. "That little fox-heart is trying to sabotage you. I'll speak with Dawnstar and you won't have to do that anymore."  
"Thanks." Briarpaw purred. "Just so you know, I think it's good that you told me how you feel. You've never really opened up like that."  
Mapleshade bared her teeth and cuffed Briarpaw. "Don't be an insolent brat. I'm just telling you how great you can be, but only if you listen to me. Do not do anything stupid or I will shred you. Got it?"  
Briarpaw nodded fearfully. "I think Sandcloud and I are going hunting." She turned tail and ran away from Mapleshade. Sandcloud met her by the camp entrance and started out of it.  
"We're hunting, right?" Briarpaw asked hopefully. Sandcloud dipped his head. "Yes, but I would like to speak to you about something important."  
Briarpaw shrugged and the two hurried into the forest. The leaves were turning a reddish brown now that it was Leaf-fall, but Briarpaw liked it. She thought the forest looked prettier when it was dying.  
"Here, sit down." Sandcloud flicked his tail. "I want to talk to you about Mapleshade. I think she's an evil cat. She kills cats without a second thought and I don't want you to do that too."  
"I don't." Briarpaw insisted. "I've only killed two cats."  
"Out of how many?" Sandcloud snorted. "Five? That's not very good, Briarpaw. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I was on a border patrol yesterday and Pineleaf came across the Thunderpath to tell me something. She said that Lightpaw decided to become a medicine cat apprentice after you nearly clawed out his eye. He's really grateful for that, actually. She wanted to personally tell you that she was thankful that you helped him figure out his path in life."  
"Why is Pineleaf so friendly to me?" Briarpaw asked. "No other cats have acted like that, I mean, I nearly blinded one of her kits and she's the nicest of anyone."  
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Sandcloud sighed. "I need to make a confession. When I was a young apprentice, not too long after my mother was killed, I was hunting by myself near the Thunderpath and I saw something strange. There was a small kit trying to cross it by herself. She couldn't have been more than a few sunrises old, so I picked her up by her scruff and took her to our side of the Thunderpath. Her name was Robinkit."  
Briarpaw rolled her eyes. "What does this have to do with anything?"  
Sandcloud flicked his tail over her mouth. "Hush. I looked at Robinkit and I was faced with one of the hardest decisions I'd ever made. She was so strong and brave and our Clan could have used another kit. I could have taken her back to Shadowclan, but I decided that she should be raised in Thunderclan. She was Pineleaf's only daughter. Now, I don't know what to do about it."  
Briarpaw tilted her head to one side. "Well, is it absolutely vital to tell her? I mean; is this something that she'll definitely need to know? I would say don't tell her if she has no idea about it. Who knows besides you?"  
"The she-cat that raised her." Sandcloud replied. "I didn't even tell Blizzardtail because I thought she would hate me."  
"Well, I don't hate you." Briarpaw meowed brightly. "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone."  
Sandcloud shot her a confused look, so Briarpaw pressed against his side. "Ravenpaw doesn't have any inkling of this." She assured. "And I'll make sure she never finds out."  
Sandcloud backed away. "What? It's not Ravenpaw, Briarpaw."  
Briarpaw shrugged. "Fine, don't tell me. It's not like I really care. You were the one that was disloyal to your Clan."  
"Disloyal?" Sandcloud gasped. "I was not disloyal! If anything I helped out our Clan by bringing Robinkit here. You don't know everything, Briarpaw, not by a long shot. You go hunting by yourself and I'll take care of the elders." The sandy tom turned away from Briarpaw and hurried toward the Thunderclan camp. Briarpaw grumbled under her breath and got to her paws. Now hunting was going to be a pain in the tail rather than a break. She slunk through the forest for a while and had caught a squirrel and two mice by sunhigh, so she went back to camp to deposit her fresh-kill. Once she'd gotten through the bramble barriers, she was bombarded by Jaypaw play-fighting. The blue-gray she-cat knocked Briarpaw off her paws and sent the fresh-kill sprawling across the camp.  
"Now look what you've done." Briarpaw spat, throwing Jaypaw off of her. "You just got my fresh-kill all dusty."  
"She was just playing, Briarpaw." Sandcloud meowed defensively. "Maybe you should try it sometime."  
Briarpaw snorted and dropped a mouse and the squirrel off. She settled down in an area by herself and began nibbling on the mouse she'd caught. Mapleshade joined her soon after and they ate in silence for a little while.  
"You were right." Briarpaw burst. "Other cats are a waste of time. I'm done paying attention to what they do. I'm only going to focus on myself."  
Mapleshade let out a proud purr. "Now you can finally achieve what you've been wanting. You can do almost anything you want and not worry about others."  
Briarpaw narrowed her eyes. "You're right, Mapleshade. Darkpatch and Tigerfang have hardly said anything to me since Birchpaw died. They're supposed to be my parents, but they obviously favored Birchpaw, even though he was weak. I mean, what kind of warrior gets killed in their first battle? Not a very good one. He would have never done well and would have always been compared to me, so it's a good thing he died, right?"  
Mapleshade nodded slowly. "He would have been a liability to the Clan. It would have happened eventually."  
"I'm sure it would have." Briarpaw agreed. She glanced over in Sandcloud's direction and saw him sharing tongues with Jaypaw. She growled lowly and narrowed her eyes. What was so great about Jaypaw? She wasn't very pretty and she wasn't good in a battle. In fact, she wasn't a very good Clan cat at all. That was probably why she wasn't a warrior yet. Briarpaw would be one before Jaypaw. The blue-gray she-cat just wasn't talented. Not like Briarpaw at least.  
"Forget about him." Mapleshade hissed. "Let him settle for the mouse-brain. You're too good for him anyway."  
Briarpaw snorted. "I'm not interested him like that. I'm not going to make the same mistake you did." The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them. Mapleshade just rolled her eyes. "Good to know you're so much more intelligent than me. Now, you need to go to your nest because I need to tell Sandcloud what you're going to do for training tomorrow."  
"Oh, I nearly forgot." Briarpaw meowed, getting to her paws. "Ravenpaw and Blizzardtail wanted to tell you something earlier."  
"I know." Mapleshade flicked her tail dismissively. "They wanted to tell me that I was expecting kits and that I needed to stop training you until the kits were born."  
"Okay, see you to tomorrow." Briarpaw turned tail and headed to the apprentices' den. She settled into her nest and closed her eyes.  
"All Thunderclan cats gather around the Highrock for a Clan meeting." Dawnstar called loudly. Briarpaw blinked blearily and tumbled into the camp clearing. Most of the cats were already gathered around the pale tabby leader, so she sat down near the edge and tried to figure out what they were meeting for. None of the warriors were old enough to become elders and there weren't any kits in the nursery at this point, unless Honeyfur had kitted without anyone noticing.  
"Jaypaw has been training to become a warrior for a very long time." Dawnstar began. Briarpaw rolled her eyes and headed back toward the den.  
"Briarpaw, you may want to stay out here for a little bit." Dawnstar continued. "Anyways, Jaypaw has passed every assessment Brackenclaw can think of so I think it's time she gets her warrior name. Jaypaw, from now on you will be known as Jayflight. The Clans accept you as a full warrior, so tonight you'll need to sit a silent vigil. Now, on to Briarpaw. Mapleshade was your mentor, but she was injured and now she's expecting kits, so you're going to need a new mentor for the time being. Tomorrow I will assess all your skills and then decide who will mentor you based on that. Make sure you're well-rested because we're joining the dawn patrol. All right, that's everything."  
"Jayflight! Jayflight!" The Clan called, Briarpaw excluded. She just shrugged and padded back to her nest, missing a suspicious stare from Dawnstar.

**Thank you to all the people who reviewed the last chapter! That's the most I've ever gotten, so thanks bunches. I hope you like this chapter as much as that one. Again, THANKS!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"How have you liked having the Clan leader as your mentor?" Sandcloud asked. Briarpaw glanced up from her squirrel in surprise. "Are you talking to me again?"

He rolled his eyes. "Jayflight thinks we should be friends again, especially since Mapleshade is busy with the kits and we have a chance to be around each other."

"I'm busy with the kits too." Briarpaw replied. "Ripplekit and Firekit are little balls of energy. Mapleshade needs all the help she can get with those two."

"Has she told you who the father is?"

Briarpaw narrowed her eyes. "No, but she doesn't need to. A queen has the right to keep that a secret."

"That's so weird." Sandcloud snorted. "I never would have thought of calling Mapleshade a queen."

"I know." Briarpaw agreed. "Honestly, I've been trying to figure out who their father could be, but she's never been close with anyone."

Sandcloud chuckled. "Jayflight thinks whoever it was must be crazy to be messing with Mapleshade."

"So that's how the prey is running." Briarpaw meowed jokingly. Sandcloud purred and shoved her gently. "Yeah, so?"

Briarpaw narrowed her eyes again. "Are you serious? Do you really like her?"

Sandcloud shrugged. "Well she is a pretty great cat."

"If you say so."

"Let's not talk about this." Sandcloud shuffled his paws. "Do you want to go hunting with me?"

"I'm actually going to go train with Dawnstar, sorry." Briarpaw apologized. "She's training me almost as much as Mapleshade used to."

"Change of plans, Briarpaw!" Dawnstar called from across the camp. "Mapleshade wants to go out for a walk and she needs you to watch the kits."

The silver and white apprentice shrugged. "Well, I guess I'm not training today. See you later, Sandcloud."

The sandy tom glared at Mapleshade as she padded out of camp. "Yeah, good talking to you."

Briarpaw shook her head and hurried over to Dawnstar. "Do you want me to train with you later?"

Dawnstar chuckled and lightly cuffed her apprentice. "Briarpaw, you are probably the hardest worked apprentice the Clans have seen. You deserve a break every once in a while."

"Thanks, Dawnstar." Briarpaw laughed, touching noses with the pale tabby.

"Anytime." She replied. "Even though it's not much of a break with those two."

"True."

Dawnstar waved her tail in farewell and left Briarpaw with the two small kits.

"Briarpaw!" A dark gray tabby she-cat yowled. "Are you going to watch me and Firekit?"

A bright ginger tom barreled into Briarpaw and started pummeling her with his paws. "I'm going to kill you, Shadowclan scum!"

Briarpaw chuckled and pushed the young tom away. "Chill out, Firekit, Shadowclan aren't going to attack us any time soon."

"You never know with those fox-hearts." Ripplekit spat. Briarpaw purred and lay on her belly. "Your mother has been teaching you about the other Clans, hasn't she?"

"Oh yeah." Firekit mewled. "She tells us about all their weaknesses. Windclan depend on rabbits, so if we poisoned the rabbits, they'd all die."

"Yeah, and Shadowclan depend on the shadows to hide them. All we have to do his fight them during the day, like you did." Ripplekit piped up. "You were amazing in that battle. Mapleshade said that you killed two cats that day. She said that that's more than most cats kill in their lifetime."

"That's true." Briarpaw agreed.

"I'm going to kill a ton of cats when I become a warrior." Firekit growled. Briarpaw snorted and closed her eyes. "I'm going to sleep, you two, so wake me up as soon as you see Mapleshade. I don't want to get in trouble for not watching you. Just stay out of the way." She'd just fallen asleep when a tiny paw prodded her side and made her leap to her paws.

"What, Firekit?" She snapped. The tom shrunk a little. "Sandcloud ran into camp and knocked Ripplekit over. He didn't even apologize."

Briarpaw rolled her eyes and headed out into the camp. Mapleshade stood in the camp entrance with Dawnstar and Sandcloud facing her with their hackles raised. Firekit and Ripplekit hid behind Briarpaw and the three watched the older warriors face off.

"Your kits are half-clan." Dawnstar whispered, but her voice carried to the trio. Firekit looked up at Briarpaw, confusion flooding his eyes. The silver and white she-cat backed away from the kits a little bit.

"Go to the nursery." She stared after the kits as they disappeared into the den.

"It was a moment of weakness." Mapleshade admitted. "But you can trust me fully now."

"Obviously not." Dawnstar meowed dryly. "Sandcloud just saw you meeting with Ripplestripe."

"Ripplestripe's her mate?" Briarpaw breathed. He'd acted way too nice to want anything to do with Mapleshade.

"Who's Ripplestripe?" A small meow drifted across the clearing.

"Your father." Mapleshade replied defiantly. Briarpaw shuddered a little bit. The two kits she'd grown to care for had Riverclan blood running through their veins. Her own mentor had betrayed the entire Clan.

"I think it's best if you leave Thunderclan." Dawnstar decided. Mapleshade looked around at her Clanmates and dipped her head. "Very well, but you'll regret this one day. Come along, kits."

Briarpaw watched the cat she'd once idolized, not knowing how to react. Mapleshade left camp with Ripplekit and Firekit, leaving Thunderclan in shock and horror. The she-cat that they'd expected to become the next leader had done something unspeakable.

"Let's go back to what we were doing." Dawnstar meowed, breaking the awkward silence. Almost every single Thunderclan cat had heard what happened, so there was no hiding anything. As the cats began to disappear, Briarpaw sat down, unsure of what to do.

"Do you want to go help Blizzardtail with me?" Sandcloud asked. Briarpaw glanced at him, still unsure of herself. Sandcloud had just betrayed her mentor, but she did want to be friends with him again, no matter how mouse-brained he was.

"Are you sure you're not going to go tell Dawnstar that I was doing something against the warrior code?" Briarpaw muttered, silently cursing herself as she did it. She didn't mean for it to come out that way. Sandcloud rolled his eyes. "Not if you're not. I'm sorry, but I knew there was something off about her."

"Yeah, so?" Briarpaw replied starkly. "She's going to go to Riverclan now, and if they accept her, she'll destroy us. Mapleshade is one of the most powerful warriors to ever exist. She could probably defeat the whole of Tigerclan."

Sandcloud snorted and shook his head. "I doubt it. She may be powerful, but she wouldn't attack her own Clanmates."

"You'd be surprised." Briarpaw meowed darkly. "She's a pretty nasty cat if you do something she doesn't like. I'd watch my back if I were you."

Sandcloud shrugged. "I'll be fine, as long as you're here to protect me."

Briarpaw narrowed her eyes and tried to figure out if he was serious or not, but he gave away no hints either way.

"If she wouldn't have been disloyal, none of this would have happened." Sandcloud continued.

"Mapleshade got what was coming to her."

"Disloyal." Briarpaw snorted. "You would know all about that. You stole a kit, Sandcloud. That's breaking the warrior code just as bad as mating with a cat from another Clan."

"If I hadn't broken the warrior code, you wouldn't be here." Sandcloud spat.

Briarpaw's eyes widened and she took a step away from the sandy tom. "What do you mean?"

Sandcloud sighed and stared at the ground. "I told you a moon or so ago. I said that I brought a kit to our Clan and when you said it was Ravenpaw, I said that it wasn't. You were the only cat that it could have been; I don't know how you didn't figure that out."

"I'm Pineleaf's daughter?" Briarpaw breathed. "I'm a Shadowclan cat?"

Sandcloud nodded. "You're a direct descendant of Shadowstar."

"No I'm not." Briarpaw meowed quickly. "I'm a Thunderclan cat. I was raised here."

"I understand that." The sand-colored tom assured her. "Thunderclan is your home, but you were born in Shadowclan, and I feel so guilty about what I did."

Briarpaw tilted her head. "Why?"  
Sandcloud sighed. "You killed two cats that would have been your Clanmates. It's my fault that you did that."

Briarpaw closed her eyes and let the information sink in. Finally she decided that it didn't matter what Clan she came from, she was a Thunderclan cat. She opened her eyes and they settled on Sandcloud, who was gazing off into the distance. A warm feeling slid through her body and she shuddered a little bit. What was that emotion? The silver and white she-cat shook off the feeling and unsheathed her claws, digging them into the ground.

"Are you mad?" Sandcloud asked, noticing the discreet motion.

Briarpaw shook her head. "No. I'm glad that you told me about this, though. It made me think of the dreams I used to have. Maybe that's what they're from."

"Maybe. Nobody knows about this except us and Darkpatch." Sandcloud confided. "Not even Blizzardtail."

Briarpaw was dumbfounded. "You didn't tell Dawnstar? What happens when she finds out? What happens when the _Clan_ finds out?"

Sandcloud had a tortured look in his eyes and he shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Briarpaw. But I think we should keep this between us."

Briarpaw dipped her head. "That sounds good."

**HEY! Sorry it took so long to update, but I've been busy. I'm starting a new story soon, and I'm hoping to update the two more often than I have been. Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Briarpaw had known about her past for nearly a moon now, and although she'd decided that Thunderclan was her home, she struggled with the fact that she wasn't born with Thunderclan blood.

Darkpatch had no idea that Briarpaw was aware of her deceit, and the apprentice wanted to confront her about her lies. The black and white queen had lied to the entire Clan, including her own mate. And that was an issue in itself. Tigerfang loved Briarpaw because he thought that she was his kit, but what would he think if he knew the truth? Briarpaw had grown to care for the aging tom, and since Mapleshade was gone she'd gotten to know her more sensitive side.

There'd been no sign of Mapleshade since she'd left Thunderclan, but tonight was the Gathering, and if Briarpaw could go, she was going to be on the lookout for her previous mentor.  
Briarpaw caught a whiff of newly killed mouse, so she stretched quickly and padded out of the apprentice den to the fresh-kill pile, where she found exactly what she'd been waiting all afternoon for.  
She opened her mouth to grab the succulent treat, but was stopped by a call from Jayflight.

"Briarpaw! You haven't been hunting yet today, so leave that mouse for someone else," the blue-gray she-cat meowed loudly. "I'm just heading out if you want to join me."

Jayflight irritated Briarpaw on a good day, and today wasn't a good day.

"I'd rather starve," the silver and white she-cat replied dryly.

Jayflight chuckled and shook her head. "I'll go ask Dawnstar if I can take you out. Go ask Sandcloud if he wants to go with us." She hurried over to the leader's den.

"Take me out," Briarpaw repeated bitterly. "Nobody takes me out. I can go anywhere on my own accord." She gnashed her teeth and sauntered out of camp.

Jayflight was always talking about Sandcloud and they rarely left each other's side, and it sickened Briarpaw. She had to admit that she was jealous of the relationship they had. She was about as popular as Mapleshade had been in her glory days, and it wasn't something she truly enjoyed. It was tough to know that cats were scared of you; even the kits steered clear of Briarpaw. There was one other apprentice now, Oakpaw, and he was friendly enough, but Briarpaw always saw fear glittering in his eyes.

A crashing noise nearly made Briarpaw jump out of her fur, but her surprise was replaced with annoyance when she scented Darkpatch. She was the last cat that Briarpaw wanted to see right now.

"My sweet!" Darkpatch cooed, emerging from the overgrowth. "Dawnstar let you out on your own?"

Briarpaw took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "No one _let_ me out, Darkpatch; I went on my own. I should be a warrior by now, so I don't think it's that big of a deal."

Darkpatch licked Briarpaw's head, trying to comfort her. "I know you think you should be a warrior, but Dawnstar is just being cautious. We don't know what Mapleshade has been up to, and she doesn't want to aggravate her by making you a warrior. Just wait another moon or so."

"Waiting is all I've done," Briarpaw burst angrily. "I deserve to have my warrior name!"

"No, Briarpaw, you don't," Darkpatch snapped. "A true warrior doesn't complain when things don't go their way. You've all but become Mapleshade in the last moon. All she did was tell you lies about how you had to go about becoming a warrior."

Briarpaw took a step away from the older she-cat.

"Oh yes, I know all about it," Darkpatch continued. "You killed Leopardfoot because you didn't want him to tell about how you clawed out Beetlepaw's eyes. Mapleshade was poisoning you with her lies."

Briarpaw couldn't take any more. "Well Mapleshade's not the only one to lie. You think you have information that you can hold over me, but you don't. I know that I'm not your kit, and I don't really care anymore, Darkpatch. What will Tigerfang say when I tell him? Do you think he'll still love you, even though you lied about his most prized possession?" Her angry meow turned into a sneer as she finished taunting the cat that she once believed to be her mother.

Darkpatch sat down and stared into Briarpaw's yellow eyes. "You wouldn't tell him, would you?"

Briarpaw gave a dry laugh, "Is that really all you care about? You're pathetic, _my sweet_." She stalked away from Darkpatch, not the least upset about the conversation. It was actually kind of freeing.

Briarpaw wandered around Thunderclan territory, thinking about everything that troubled her. Her main problem was that she was unhappy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a day where she actually enjoyed herself. Well, she could. It was the last time she'd been in battle, but when she really thought about it, enjoying ripping other cats apart wasn't something that anyone should enjoy.

An acrid scent filled Briarpaw's nose, which meant that she was getting close to the Thunderpath. Something inside of her pushed Briarpaw to keep going, so she continued toward the harsh-smelling border.

Even though she'd decided that Thunderclan was her home, Shadowclan seemed like a good option, but that was only if they'd accept her. They probably would have a hard time dealing with the fact that she killed two of their cats, but then again, she'd helped Lightpaw make his decision to become a medicine cat. That too was something that seemed strange—she had three brothers, and her father was the leader of Shadowclan, he just didn't know that he was her father.

"Briarpaw? Or have you gotten your warrior name?" A kind meow drifted across the Thunderpath.

Briarpaw glanced across and her heart soared when she saw Pineleaf on the other side. The silver and white she-cat purred and shook her head. "No, not yet, Pineleaf."

"Too bad, Applepaw and Vinepaw still have moons to wait." Pineleaf replied. "Are you going to the Gathering tonight?"

Briarpaw shrugged and took a step toward the Thunderpath. "I don't know yet, but I hope so. I can't stand to be in camp any longer."

"Is something bothering you?" Pineleaf asked sympathetically.

Briarpaw hesitated before she answered. Should she tell Pineleaf what she knew? She was her mother after all, but she was also a member of another Clan. "If I go to the Gathering I'll tell you there."

Pineleaf dipped her head. "Well then, I hope to see you there Briarpaw." Her green eyes shone with a mixture of sadness and happiness that was visible even across the Thunderpath and Briarpaw knew that she had to tell Pineleaf the truth. It would be awful to lose a kit. Briarpaw meowed a quick goodbye and started back into deeper Thunderclan territory.

She decided to go hunting so that Jayflight would back off a little bit.

Briarpaw heard a leaf twitching and crouched down, stalking toward the sound. A mouse emerged from beneath a small bush and looked around suspiciously. Briarpaw crept forward, her paws silent as she moved closer and closer. The mouse squeaked loudly and scurried away in the opposite direction. Briarpaw hissed lowly and leaped forward, landing squarely on the mouse.

"Gotcha!" She purred, nipping it on the back of the neck. The mouse went limp in Briarpaw's mouth, so she dropped it and buried it in a shallow grave. She backed away and debated on whether or not to keep hunting and then come back for the mouse or to take the mouse back then go out again. She was worried that she would end up forgetting the mouse, so Briarpaw dug it up and started back for camp.

She picked up her pace when she realized that she still needed to ask Dawnstar if she could go to the Gathering tonight. The cool air from the start of leaf-bare made Briarpaw shiver a bit, even through her thick fur. It was going to be her first leaf-bare, and she wasn't looking forward to it. Life had been relatively easy for her, not taking into account the problems she had with her past. She'd never gone hungry, never wanted for anything really, so she didn't want to have to go for days without food. Hopefully the elders were right and leaf-bare would be nothing compared to the ones they'd experienced in their youth.

Briarpaw chuckled lowly—the elders always talked about how hard everything was for them, and she was looking forward to the day when she could do that to the apprentices that had to care for her.

But her happiness faded away when she realized that if she intended on becoming a leader, she'd have no chance of becoming an elder. She'd either die in battle or die struggling to care for the Clan, or Clans. She always had to remind herself that she intended on leading not just Thunderclan, but the other three as well. The idea seemed impossible, but she had enough charisma to convince most cats of anything.

Before she dominated the Clans she needed to figure out her future in Thunderclan, or Shadowclan. As much as Thunderclan was her home, Shadowclan was her way out of the issues she faced on a daily basis. There would be no more Darkpatch constantly watching over her, no Jayflight to boss her around, no Sandcloud to flaunt his relationship with Jayflight. She would be with her real mother, her real father, and her real littermates.

"Ah, you're back from hunting."  
Dawnstar's familiar meow broke Briarpaw's concentration and she realized that she'd already made it back to camp.

The silver and white apprentice dipped her head and set the mouse on the fresh-kill pile. "The prey is running pretty well."

Dawnstar gave her an amused look. "Really? You seem to have found the scrawniest mouse in Thunderclan territory. Where did you go?"

Briarpaw knew that Dawnstar could smell the grit from the Thunderpath so she didn't lie. "Near Shadowclan territory. I guess the mice like those monsters as much as we do."

The Thunderclan leader purred and sat down, motioning for Briarpaw to do the same. "I heard that you and Jayflight had a bit of an issue this morning. Now, I've already heard her side of the story, but I would like to hear yours before I decide if you'll be going to the Gathering tonight."

After a deep breath, Briarpaw replied. "I just don't get along with her, Dawnstar. It feels like she watches my every move and points out every time I make a mistake. She's hardly a warrior, so I don't think she has the right to tell me what to do."

"I guess I can understand that," Dawnstar sighed. "But you need to work on your temper, Briarpaw. Even the kits know not to go near you when you're angry. They're afraid you'll claw them, and even though I know you won't, I still worry. Jayflight is a really sweet cat if you take the time to get to know her, but you won't give her a chance."

Briarpaw wanted to say something about Dawnstar not knowing how truly irritating Jayflight was, but decided it was better not to if she wanted to see Pineleaf tonight. "It's just the fact that she's always mooning over Sandcloud. It gets really irritating after you hear it over and over again."

Dawnstar let out a laugh. "I see; this isn't about Jayflight, it's about Sandcloud. Briarpaw, I know that you've always gotten your way, but you need to get used to the hard times in life. Sandcloud mooned over you at one point, but you shot him down, so he moved on. So should you."

Briarpaw's fur ruffled and she growled quietly. That wasn't something she wanted to talk about.

"So can I go to the Gathering?" She meowed gruffly.

Dawnstar nodded. "Of course you can."

Briarpaw mumbled a thank you and found a sunny spot to lay in.  
She had a lot to think about before tonight.

**Hello! It's been ages since I last worked on this story and I don't know why. I guess life gets in the way sometimes, but I'm glad to be back. Now that it's summer I should have plenty of time to keep updating, so please read and review! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Briarpaw lay in the fading sunlight, waiting for Dawnstar to announce who was going to the Gathering. Since she already knew that she was going, she was just wondering who would be joining her. She hoped with all her heart that neither Sandcloud nor Jayflight were going along. She didn't want to have to spend any time with either of them. Sandcloud hadn't done anything to her, but she hated being around him because lately, any time they talked they ended up fighting over something stupid.

"Briarpaw! Briarpaw!"  
The excited meow of Oakpaw brought Briarpaw to her paws. The dark tabby tom had grown on her in the last moon, and it was nice to have a friend, even if he was scared of her most of the time. But maybe it was time for her to change that.

"Hi, Oakpaw!" She forced a chipper tone into her gruff meow. "How was your day?"

The tom's amber eyes sparkled and he touched noses with Briarpaw before answering. "It was great! I got to visit Snakerocks and Sandcloud killed an adder! Then he taught me some new hunting and battle moves. Do you want to see?"

Briarpaw purred lightly and nodded. "Of course I do."  
To be honest, she kind of missed being that excited to train. She remembered training with Mapleshade, and even though it was hard work, she woke up ready to do it every dawn. She felt a warm glow of happiness as she watched Oakpaw practice his new moves, and nodded each time he looked at her and asked if she was watching him.  
It was times like this that made her appreciate Thunderclan. She didn't know if the cats would act the same in Shadowclan. After all, they were the most private of the four Clans.

"Briarpaw! Dawnstar just got back from her hunting trip and she's going to say which cats are going to the Gathering." Oakpaw meowed loudly, prodding Briarpaw's side.  
She jokingly nipped at him and followed him toward the growing crowd of cats.

"I would call for the Clan meeting, but it seems that everyone is already here." Dawnstar began, her meow tinged with amusement. "As you all know, tonight is the Gathering, and although everyone wants to go, we can't take the entire Clan to Fourtrees. Of course Brackenclaw will be going, then Briarpaw, Oakpaw, Tigerfang, Honeyfur, Fallownose, and Sandcloud. I expect us all to be on our best behavior tonight, which means no fighting."

Briarpaw nudged Oakpaw and he glanced at her, his amber eyes filled with joy and anticipation. She motioned for him to go to the apprentices' den.

"All of you get something to eat before we leave." Dawnstar finished, leaping down from Highrock.

Briarpaw and Oakpaw slipped into the apprentices' den and sat in their nests, and Briarpaw felt a wave of sadness wash over her when she saw fear replacing Oakpaw's excitement.  
"I wanted to give you some advice before you go to your first Gathering." She explained, and was relieved when Oakpaw looked a little happier. "You should probably stick with an older cat like me for your first one, but I have something to take care of when we first get there so stay with Sandcloud until I can introduce you to my friends."

Oakpaw gave her an incredulous look. "You have friends from other Clans?"

"Of course," Briarpaw laughed. "I'm not Mapleshade for Starclan's sake."

The mood darkened and the two cats shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, we should probably get some fresh-kill before we go." Briarpaw meowed quickly, hurrying out of the den. "Why don't we share a rabbit?"

Oakpaw followed her toward the fresh-kill pile and they sat down nearby to dig into a scrawny-looking rabbit. They ate in silence, neither one knowing what to say, until finally Sandcloud approached them.

"Tonight I want you to stay close to me," He meowed, his tufted ears twitching. "A cat's first Gathering can be a frightening, but exciting experience, and I want you to share that with me."

Briarpaw got to her paws and stood face to face with the ginger tom. "He'll be with you for a little bit at the beginning, but he's going to sit with me and meet my friends; we talked about it just a bit ago."

Sandcloud unsheathed his claws and dug them into the dirt, which was uncharacteristic of him. "He's my apprentice, Briarpaw, and I want him to spend the Gathering with me. This isn't something you can control."

Briarpaw thrust her nose into Sandcloud's face. "You can't control me, so why don't you put a mouse in it." Her meow went from calm to a snarl when she was finished speaking.

Sandcloud backed away and shook his head. "I don't want to do this, Briarpaw. All I want to do is take my apprentice to his first Gathering."

"Why don't I spend enough time with Sandcloud to meet his friends, and then I'll go with you, Briarpaw." Oakpaw suggested, finishing off the last bit of the rabbit.

Briarpaw purred and touched his shoulder with her nose. "Good idea, Oakpaw. We'll go with that."

The tabby tom had a proud look on his face as Dawnstar called for the group of cats to gather near her.  
Briarpaw was really satisfied with herself for controlling her anger. She could have lashed out and clawed Sandcloud, but she didn't. And it was a good thing she hadn't, because that would have destroyed the tiny amount of trust that Oakpaw had in her.  
Maybe it was too soon to tell, but she thought she had a good chance of a close friendship with Oakpaw. He was a completely different cat than Sandcloud, and that was probably a good thing.

The three cats padded over to Dawnstar and the others, and followed them out of camp.  
The air was turning bitterly cold at night, and Oakpaw pressed against Briarpaw's side, trying to keep warm. The silver and white apprentice pressed back, and purred when she saw Sandcloud's irritated look. The moon shone bright in the sky, and Briarpaw felt as though it was going to be a good night.

"What do you need to take care of?" Sandcloud asked suddenly, hurrying up so that he was alongside Briarpaw and Oakpaw.

Briarpaw shrugged. "Nothing big, I just need to speak with someone."

Sandcloud's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Don't do it, Briarpaw. It's not going to end well, I can promise you that."

"What won't end well?" Oakpaw chimed in.

Briarpaw glanced at him, her yellow eyes betraying nothing. "I don't know what Sandcloud's talking about. I only wanted to discuss some hunting techniques with someone from another Clan; you know, get their opinion on something new I've thought of."

Oakpaw nodded slowly. "That's actually really smart."

"I know." Briarpaw laughed. "But the key is to always get their technique, but to not give everything you know away. That way you learn something new, and you don't help out the other Clans."

Oakpaw dipped his head and the three continued toward Fourtrees, and after a few pawsteps, Sandcloud slowed down so he wouldn't have to walk with the other two.  
It didn't take much longer to reach Fourtrees, and Sandcloud wrapped his tail to lead Oakpaw away from Briarpaw.

"I'll find you in a bit." She promised as he trudged after Sandcloud, disappointment evident in his amber eyes.

The she-cat hissed lowly at Sandcloud and padded toward Shadowclan, hoping to find Pineleaf among the mix of cats. Finally she spotted the familiar reddish pelt of the Shadowclan warrior and she hurried down to greet her.

"Hi, Briarpaw," Pineleaf meowed welcomingly, turning to face Briarpaw before the young cat could say anything. "I'm glad you could make it."

Briarpaw dipped her head and motioned for Pineleaf to follow her away from all the cats. The she-cat did, and the two ended up in a small, but secluded area where they could talk in private.

"It's a good thing the other two Clans are late, as usual." Pineleaf meowed, sitting down and curling her tail around her paws. "We have time to discuss what you wanted to."

Briarpaw took a deep breath and sat down, copying Pineleaf's tail movement. "There's something I'm going to tell you, and you're going to be shocked and confused, and maybe a little bit angry, but I think you need to know." She paused and stared into Pineleaf's deep green eyes, getting lost in the warmth of them. Something clicked in her mind, and suddenly Briarpaw remembered an image from her past; something she'd forgotten long ago.  
"I remember when I was a young kit, my mother keeping me close to her side, never rushing me, even though I wasn't opening my eyes as quickly as my other siblings. I debated with myself for what seemed like moons at the time, and I finally decided to open my eyes to please my mother. I remember blinking for the first time and seeing bright green eyes, and they made me so thankful that I'd made the decision I did."

Pineleaf seemed to swell, and her entire demeanor changed. Her fur had been smooth and sleek, and it had instantly stood on end when Briarpaw finished what she was saying.

"Do you know whose eyes those were?" The Thunderclan apprentice asked.

Pineleaf nodded slowly and gently touched noses with Briarpaw. "I wondered what had happened to my Robinkit for moons, and I hated myself for pushing her to open her eyes because she got lost on her very first day. When I saw you for the first time at your first Gathering, I couldn't place how I knew you. But then I saw your eyes when I confronted you about harming Lightpaw, I knew that you were Robinkit. You had that defiant look that I always remembered in my young kit."

Briarpaw purred and moved so that she was sitting closely to Pineleaf. "I'm so glad you're my mother, Pineleaf. You're nothing like the 'mother' I have in Thunderclan."

"Well, that's something we need to talk about," Pineleaf meowed seriously. "Are you going to stay in Thunderclan now that you know the truth?"

"I'm not really sure," Briarpaw admitted. "I'm not very happy there at the moment."

Pineleaf licked the top of her head. "Just know that I will make sure that there's always room for you in Shadowclan."

"Thank you, Pineleaf." Briarpaw meowed gratefully. "I would love to stay with you for the entire Gathering, but I made a promise to introduce a new apprentice to some of my friends."

Pineleaf dipped her head and the two parted ways.  
Briarpaw scented that Riverclan had joined them, but Windclan was still unaccounted for, which was perfect. Now she would have plenty of time for introductions. She slipped through the crowd of cats, trying to scent Sandcloud, and finally found him with Brackenclaw and Oakpaw.

"I thought you were going to introduce him to your friends." She growled, wrapping her tail around a bored-looking Oakpaw. "Come on, we'll actually meet some new cats." She led the dark tabby through the mix of Riverclan, Shadowclan, and Thunderclan toward a small group of Riverclan and Shadowclan cats.  
Briarpaw still remembered her first Gathering, and what had bothered her most was that Sandcloud completely forgot about her once he was with all of his friends.

"This is Oakpaw, it's his first Gathering." She announced as the cats made room for the two new arrivals.

Oakpaw dipped his head in an awkward greeting and stared at the ground. Briarpaw met Vinepaw's gaze and tilted her head toward her young friend.

"I'm Vinepaw," The tabby introduced himself, and then pointed at his brothers. "The ginger tom is Applepaw and the white tom is Lightpaw. Lightpaw's training to become a medicine cat."

Oakpaw brightened and began chatting with the Shadowclan toms. Briarpaw looked around the sea of cats, trying to find the familiar ginger and white pelt of Mapleshade.

"You won't find her here," a dark gray tabby meowed quietly. "Riverclan didn't accept her."

Briarpaw gave the tom a suspicious stare. "Not even your kits, Ripplestripe?"

"She didn't bring any kits," Ripplestripe replied, looking genuinely confused. "I thought she left them in Thunderclan."

Briarpaw shook her head slowly, trying to comprehend the news. If Riverclan hadn't accepted Mapleshade, then where had she gone? And what had happened to her kits?

**Please Please Please! Please review guys! I haven't gotten anything for these last two chapters and I really want to know what everyone thinks of them!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Gathering seemed to go on forever, and Briarpaw couldn't get her mind off of Mapleshade. The ginger and white she-cat hadn't been seen for a moon, which was unexpected. Briarpaw had been anticipating some sort of retaliation, but none had come yet.

"The Gathering is now over, let's all go home," Stormstar, Riverclan's leader finally meowed.  
Briarpaw silently thanked Starclan and got to her paws, searching for the rest of her Clanmates. Oakpaw spotted Brackenclaw and Tigerfang, so he nudged Briarpaw in their direction. Eventually they found the rest of the Clan and started toward camp. Oakpaw wouldn't stop talking about the Gathering, so Briarpaw made the excuse that she needed to speak with Tigerfang so she could get away. She sped up, matching Tigerfang's pace, and told him what Ripplestripe had said about Mapleshade.

"She's not in Riverclan?" He meowed incredulously. "You need to tell Dawnstar immediately. This can't end well for either Clan."

Briarpaw blinked calmly and nodded. "I will when we get back to camp, but how do you know that something bad is going to happen? She's been gone for an entire moon. If Mapleshade was planning something, it would have already been put in motion."

"Has it?" Sandcloud asked darkly from Briarpaw's other side.

The silver and white apprenticed narrowed her eyes until they were just slits. "I wouldn't know, would I? Sandcloud, I think that you're the last cat in Thunderclan that should be throwing around accusations."

"I'll leave you two alone," Tigerfang meowed awkwardly, slowing so that he was walking with Oakpaw.

Briarpaw bared her teeth and Sandcloud and unsheathed her claws. "Quit accusing me of things that you know nothing about. I'm not the one with a loyalty problem."

"Give me a break," Sandcloud snapped. "You would do anything that Mapleshade asked, and don't try to deny it. I know what you've done, and you know what I've done, so why don't we just keep our secrets to ourselves."

Briarpaw gave him a smug look. "Well, it's a little bit too late for that now. Pineleaf knows everything. She's always known."

Sandcloud's eyes glistened with hurt and betrayal. "I used to think that we had a future, Briarpaw, but now I know that we never will."

"Really?" Briarpaw sneered. "Well, you could have fooled me. You were the one cat that I trusted, and you dropped me as soon as Jayflight became a warrior. Don't act like you've done nothing wrong."

"I hate who you've become, Briarpaw," Sandcloud murmured. "I really do. You're not the cat that you used to be. After Mapleshade left, I thought you'd gotten better, but I can see it was just a mask for what you really are. You're worse than Mapleshade ever could have been."

"Then you'd better stay on my good side," Briarpaw snarled. "Or you'll be first."

Sandcloud's eyes widened and he stopped, his hackles raised. Briarpaw continued on, ignoring the confused looks from Tigerfang and Oakpaw. In all honesty, she'd surprised herself when those words came tumbling from her mouth, but she felt that something about them was true. There was no way that Mapleshade was going down without a fight, and Briarpaw was going to be right beside her the whole way.

Neither one of them had ever been given a chance by Thunderclan. They'd been labeled as battle-hungry she-cats, and the other cats avoided them at all costs. It wasn't Briarpaw's fault that she'd been given Mapleshade as a mentor, and maybe things would be different if Sandcloud had been her mentor, but it was too late now. Why try to become what other cats wanted if you knew that you never could? Why not act how you really felt?

Briarpaw seethed the rest of the way back to camp, walking by herself and thinking about her future. Maybe she should do as much damage in Thunderclan without it being known, and then go to Shadowclan when things started to fall through.  
First she would kill Brackenclaw, just like she'd promised Mapleshade all those moons ago, then Jayflight. She would make Sandcloud pay. All of this was his fault. She could have grown up in Shadowclan as the daughter of a leader, but instead she'd started at the bottom in Thunderclan.

"Are you okay, Briarpaw?" Dawnstar's concerned meow interrupted the apprentice's thoughts.

She looked her leader in the eyes and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I need to talk to you about Mapleshade, though. Riverclan didn't allow her to join them, and they didn't know anything about Firekit and Ripplekit, Ripplestripe said that they thought she'd left the kits in Thunderclan."

"This is troubling," Dawnstar meowed heavily, motioning for Briarpaw to follow her into her den. When they were inside, they sat down and Dawnstar shook her head slowly. "Briarpaw, even though you're an apprentice, I feel that your burdens are as abundant as an elder's. You could have been made a warrior any time in the last moon, trust me, but I didn't want to provoke Mapleshade, and now I think I've done more harm than good. You act like you're happy, but I don't think that you are. The other cats are frightened of you, Briarpaw. The only ones that spend any time with you are Darkpatch, Tigerfang, Ravenpaw, and Oakpaw, and I don't understand how that foolish tom can stand to be around you."

"If all you're going to do is criticize me, I think I'm going to leave," Briarpaw meowed angrily, getting to her paws.

"I'm sorry," Dawnstar replied, "That's not what I wanted to say. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have made Mapleshade your mentor, and I should have been watching you more carefully. You've all but turned into her, and any cat knows that that can only mean trouble."

Briarpaw dipped her head. "I understand your concerns, Dawnstar, but don't worry about it. I know that I have a lot of making up to do to everyone, but I think I can do it. I don't want to be like Mapleshade; in all honesty, I want to be like you, Dawnstar."

The Thunderclan leader wrapped her tail around Briarpaw's shoulders. "You will be a great warrior one day, but only if you change your ways, Briarpaw, and I trust that you will. You seem willing to try something new. Now, go get some rest, we're going to be on dawn patrol tomorrow, and then we'll have some battle training. I want to assess your skills, and if you do well, you could become a warrior within half a moon."

"Thank you for trusting in me, Dawnstar, even when nobody else does," Briarpaw meowed gratefully. "I won't let you down."

They meowed quick goodbyes and Briarpaw left the leader's den, smug as can be. She picked up a vole from the fresh-kill pile and settled down to eat it. As she bit into it, Jayflight came stalking up to her.  
"Did you go hunting today?" The blue-gray she-cat asked snippily.

"Do you really want to go there?" Briarpaw sighed. "You're wasting my time."

Jayflight glared at the younger she-cat and sat down. "I think that you're wasting the entire Clan's time. We all know that you're going to turn out bad, so why don't you just leave? Go find Mapleshade, wherever she is, and stay there. You're not wanted here."

"Maybe not wanted by you," Briarpaw sneered, "but I know that Sandcloud would forget about you in an instant if I asked him to. You're just his little plaything, nothing more."

Jayflight's eyes widened and she unsheathed her claws. "That's not true."

"What do I have to gain by lying to you?" Briarpaw asked smoothly. "I don't care for Sandcloud; he's the furthest thing from my mind. You, however, are on my mind all the time." She got to her paws and began circling Jayflight, making sure that Oakpaw and Brackenclaw were watching them from across the camp. "If you so much as look at me anymore, I will shred you, and you can count on that. I will destroy you. But if you want to fight, bring it on."

Jayflight narrowed her eyes and lashed out at Briarpaw, catching her cheek. Briarpaw was filled with both rage and excitement, because she'd been waiting for this moment for a long time. She unsheathed her claws and began slashing at Jayflight's chest. The older she-cat backed away and then leaped toward Briarpaw, trying to get her off balance. But the apprentice knew it was coming. She jumped at Jayflight, meeting her in midair. They fell to the ground and became a ball of claws and fur, each one trying to get the upper hand. But Jayflight never stood a chance. Briarpaw dug her claws into Jayflight's back, making her screech with pain, and then buried her teeth in her shoulder, trying to inflict as much pain as she could before the Clan could pull them apart. Finally, an angry caterwaul from Dawnstar stopped the fight, and the two she-cats split apart, their claws still unsheathed.

"What is this?" Dawnstar asked, disbelieve tingeing her voice. "Briarpaw, what did we just talk about? Was everything you said a lie?"

Briarpaw acted apologetic and stared at the ground. "Dawnstar, trust me, it wasn't. I don't even really know what happened. Jayflight was upset and started an argument and then attacked me without reason."

"She's lying," Jayflight meowed desperately. "She provoked me into attacking her. She wanted this to happen."

Briarpaw gave the frightened she-cat a strange look. "Why would I want you to attack me? We're supposed to be Clanmates. We were great friends when you were still an apprentice, and I wish we could go back to that."

Jayflight's jaw dropped and she glanced around at all the cats that had come out from their dens. The entire Clan was watching them, and they seemed to be taking Briarpaw's side.

"Oakpaw and Brackenclaw," Dawnstar called out, "I saw that you two were out here during the fight. What did you see?"

Briarpaw eyes met with Oakpaw's and he gave a slight nod. "Jayflight went over to Briarpaw and it looked like she started the whole thing. Briarpaw was just eating her vole. It looked as though Jayflight was trying to threaten Briarpaw, but I don't know why she would."

"Is this true, Brackenclaw?" Dawnstar glanced at her deputy.

He dipped his head and stared solemnly at his leader. "It is."

Dawnstar shook her head. "Jayflight, as a warrior, I'd hoped that you were better than fighting one of your Clanmates. You will be on apprentice duty for the next moon, and you'll be confined to camp unless a warrior takes you out. And Briarpaw, I'd expected more of you as well. Since you didn't start the fight, I don't find it necessary to punish you, but just know that you're on thin ice. Now, everyone go to bed, we're going to need to keep our strength up. The worst of leaf-bare is yet to come, and we don't need any illnesses."

The cats dispersed, and Jayflight sat in the middle of camp with Dawnstar, speaking quietly with her. Briarpaw watched from the apprentices' den, extremely happy with herself. She'd planned on something like this happening, but hadn't anticipated it happening so soon. Oakpaw tapped her with his tail, distracting her for a moment.

"Thanks, Oakpaw." She meowed softly. "You're a great friend."

The dark tabby purred loudly and touched her side with his nose. "I know. You're not too bad yourself. Should we make a nest for Jayflight? Or should I say Jaypaw?"

Briarpaw chuckled and nodded. "We'd better, or else she'll put it right next to our nests. Let's put it in the corner over there. We don't want Jaypaw to be too close to us."

"Ha ha, very funny," Jayflight meowed dryly from behind the two apprentices. "And don't worry about me wanting to have my nest next to either one of you. I'd rather sleep outside than in here."

"Why don't you?" Oakpaw asked.

Briarpaw laughed lowly and moved so that she was sitting in her nest. "Let's go to sleep, Oakpaw. Jaypaw can sleep wherever she wants."

The two apprentices curled up in their nests and closed their eyes, ignoring Jayflight. Briarpaw soon fell asleep, but it lasted until only moonhigh. She woke up and left Oakpaw in his nest, padding out into the camp. Jayflight lay just outside the apprentices' den, and Briarpaw couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for her. But she shook it off and padded over to the Highrock, leaping onto it. She imagined calling Thunderclan to a Clan meeting, and an excited shiver ran down her spine. Then she imagined calling all four of the Clans to a meeting and a rush of ambition made her dizzy.

"Someone help!" A frightened yowl came from just outside of camp.

Briarpaw leaped down from the Highrock and bounded toward the entrance. Outside stood Fallownose and Ripplestripe, each with their hackles raised.

"Thank Starclan," Ripplestripe meowed breathlessly. "Briarpaw, Riverclan is being attacked by a group of rogues. We're losing badly, and we need help. Can you get Dawnstar?"

"No need," Dawnstar meowed loudly. "We will come to Riverclan's aid."

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	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Pick up the pace, everyone," Dawnstar ordered as a patrol of Thunderclan cats raced toward Riverclan.

Briarpaw ran alongside Ripplestripe, and she could nearly feel his exhaustion. Rogues were nothing to mess with, even with a whole Clan on your side you could still lose. They fought dirty, but then again, so did Briarpaw. She was itching to join the battle.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Dawnstar had asked before they left. "Aren't you in pain from your scuffle with Jayflight?"

Briarpaw had only sustained a slight scrape on her cheek where Jayflight had nicked her. The blue-gray she-cat was in a lot more pain than Briarpaw. Maybe that was why she'd chosen to stay in camp.  
Dawnstar had chosen Sandcloud, Brackenclaw, Fallownose, Tigerfang, and Briarpaw to help out Riverclan. She didn't want to take all of her strongest warriors so she left a few back in camp, just in case the rogues made their way onto Thunderclan territory.

"The river's coming up soon," Dawnstar warned.

Briarpaw braced herself. She absolutely hated water, and even though they were going to be using the stepping stones, there was always a chance that she could fall in.  
Fortunately, she made it across without a problem. Dawnstar let Ripplestripe take the lead and the Thunderclan cats followed him through the unfamiliar territory.

"It's just through the reeds up ahead," Ripplestripe panted, slowing down. "I need to warn you that it's not good. We desperately need help."

"Then keep moving," Dawnstar meowed sternly, pushing through the reeds and into the Riverclan camp. But nothing that Ripplestripe could say would ever be able to prepare them for what they saw. There were more rogues than you could count and they were tearing apart the Riverclan cats.

"Thunderclan attack!" Dawnstar yowled, leaping onto the nearest rogue, a dark gray tom.

Briarpaw shivered excitedly and scoped out the camp. She'd thought that the battle would be nearly over by now, but it was still going full-force. A small apprentice was being battered by two ginger she-cats, so Briarpaw went to his rescue.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" She hissed, leaping onto the back of one of the she-cats. The she-cat was faster than anticipated, and she threw Briarpaw off as if she were nothing. The apprentice landed heavily on her side, and a sharp crack echoed within Briarpaw, sending a rush of pain through her body.

"Like you?" The other she-cat jeered.

Briarpaw struggled to get to her paws, but she couldn't put any weight on her left forepaw. The she-cats began circling her, as she'd done to Jayflight, and taunted her. Briarpaw hissed and spat as much as she could, but she knew she was in trouble. She'd never gotten hurt in battle. Never.  
One of the she-cats raked her claws down Briarpaw's side, and the young apprentice screeched angrily.

"Not that one," An angry yowl broke through the she-cats' mockery. The she-cats backed away, growling lowly, and Briarpaw searched for the source of the voice, but she couldn't see anything through the battle.

The apprentice that Briarpaw had saved now was trying to protect her from the countless rogues that threatened her.  
"You need to get to the medicine cat's den," He meowed desperately. "It's right over there." He pointed his tail in the direction she needed to go.

Briarpaw gritted her teeth and got to her paws, trying to ignore the pain. She limped into the den without any confrontation by the rogues. Inside was Owlface, Riverclan's medicine cat. Briarpaw explained what happened and he sighed with relief.

"Your shoulder's been popped out of place," he explained. "I can fix that very easily, but you'll need to stay out of the battle afterwards."

"Don't worry," Briarpaw meowed tensely. "Just get it back in place."

He moved her foreleg quickly and after an immense pain, her shoulder made a 'click' and the pain evaporated. Briarpaw put a little bit of weight on her paw and it felt as though nothing had been wrong.

"You should go back to your camp," Owlface meowed. "We can take care of the rogues."

Briarpaw laughed gruffly, "I don't think you can. I could barely handle myself out there. I'm going back into the battle. My leg may hurt for a little while, but I'll get over it."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Owlface sighed. "But you're right. We do need your help."

Briarpaw dipped her head and raced out of the den and back into the thick of the battle. The rogues outnumbered the Clan cats by a dozen, and they didn't seem to be tiring very quickly. The silver and white apprentice leaped on the nearest rogue, a black tom, and dug her claws in as deeply as she could.  
_Kill him. That's the only way to defeat the rogues._ Mapleshade's voice crept into Briarpaw's brain, and the she-cat dipped her head. She buried her teeth in the back of the tom's neck and he went limp. Briarpaw felt teeth in her scruff and she struggled as she was dragged into one of the Riverclan dens.

"Stop moving," an angry hiss made Briarpaw freeze.

"Mapleshade?" Briarpaw gasped. "What are you doing here?"

The ginger and white she-cat laughed darkly and dipped her head toward the battle. "Getting my revenge."

Briarpaw's jaw dropped. "You organized all of this? All of these rogues?"

"What can I say? I'm very charismatic." Maplesahde joked. "They want any reason to tear into the Clan cats. They don't like being told where they can and can't hunt at. All I did was push them in the direction of Riverclan, and they've done the rest."

Briarpaw shook her head slowly, "You're unbelievable, Mapleshade."

Her former mentor bared her teeth and stepped toward Briarpaw. "Are you saying that you're going to stand in my way? I've taught you everything you know, and you'd be defeated in one swipe. Anyways, you'd be shredded if I wouldn't have stopped those two she-cats from attacking you."

"I didn't say anything about standing in your way," Briarpaw meowed calmly. "I want to help, Mapleshade. Do you have a problem with that?"

Mapleshade dipped her head. "Thank you, Briarpaw. Now, get back to the battle before anyone notices you're gone. Tell the rogues that you're with me and they'll take it easy on you. I'll find a way to meet with you soon." She left the den and Briarpaw waited a moment before following her.

"I'm on your side," the apprentice hissed lowly as a tabby tom started toward her. He nodded and moved on to another cat. Briarpaw slid through the crowd of cats, trying not to draw any attention to herself. Even though she was on Mapleshade's side she couldn't go around attacking Clan cats, but then she couldn't attack the rogues or they'd retaliate against her.

"Briarpaw," a cat choked out from beneath a rogue to Briarpaw's right.

The young she-cat made a quick decision and barreled into the rogue, knocking her from the cat.

"You're welcome, Sandcloud," Briarpaw meowed snootily and began to hurry away.

"Help me, please," Sandcloud begged, blood pouring from his wounds.

As much as Briarpaw hated to admit it, she actually felt some compassion for the wounded warrior. She helped him to his paws and dragged him into Owlface's den, setting him in the very nest she'd been in earlier. Sandcloud's usually pale ginger pelt was stained red from his own blood, and a twinge of fear surprised Briarpaw. Even though they weren't on the best of terms, she didn't want him dead anymore. He was so pitiful and frail looking, so unlike his usual self.

"I'll get him fixed up," Owlface assured her. "Don't worry about it. He's going to be in some pain for a while, but he should live. How's your shoulder treating you?"

"Fine," Briarpaw shrugged.

"Thank you," Sandcloud rasped, staring up at Briarpaw with his deep amber eyes. They fluttered and finally closed after a few moments.

Briarpaw shook herself and went back to the battle. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Dawnstar's pale tabby pelt disappearing through the camp entrance. The Thunderclan apprentice followed curiously and her heart began pounding when she saw her leader battling against two huge rogues. They were heading straight toward the river!  
A flash of loyalty ran through Briarpaw's veins and she pelted toward the trio, knocking one of the rogues off balance. She hissed at him and began slashing at his chest, not trying to injure him, but aiming to push him into the river. Each swipe brought him closer and closer to the rushing water, and when he finally realized what Briarpaw was doing it was too late. One final attack and the tom stepped back too far, sliding down the river bank and into the freezing water. Briarpaw skidded to a stop and watched breathlessly as the tom struggled to stay afloat, but the water soon overtook him.

"Flint!" The other rogue called, releasing her grip from Dawnstar. She ran to the riverside and dipped her paws in the water, but backed away quickly, turning to face Briarpaw. "You Clan cats. You think you can do whatever you want and get away with it, but you're wrong. Dead wrong."

"We have a code," Dawnstar explained. "I don't know who you heard all that from, but they were wrong. Clan cats have responsibilities, and we depend on one another."

The rogue sat down, genuinely confused. "So the she-cat lied to us?"

"What she-cat?" Dawnstar demanded. "What was her name?"

Briarpaw's throat tightened and she waited nervously as the rogue was thinking.

"I'm not sure," the she-cat admitted. "I've never saw her. We were just gathered together and told about how the Clans have bullied their way into the forest. We just wanted revenge and now my brother is dead! You killed him!" She glared accusingly at Briarpaw.

The young she-cat narrowed her eyes. "You are the enemy."

"Now hold on a moment, Briarpaw," Dawnstar interrupted. "We need to discuss this for a moment. What is your name?" She looked at the rogue with genuine concern.

"Scorch," the she-cat replied, her pale green eyes shining with confusion. "Why do you care?"

Dawnstar took a deep breath. "Well, Scorch, I can see that you haven't been eating so well this leaf-bare, have you?"

The dark ginger she-cat shook her head. "No."

"I have a proposition for you," Dawnstar continued. "Would you like to join Thunderclan? You seem like you need some help, and we're willing to give it."

"I don't need help," Scorch snapped.

"It sure looks like you do," Briarpaw replied, looking the scruffy-looking cat up and down.

Dawnstar glared at her apprentice. "We would appreciate it if you would join our Clan. We could help each other."

Scorch hesitated for a moment and finally dipped her head. "You're right, I could use some help. I will join Thunderclan."

Briarpaw snarled beneath her breath and tried to understand what Dawnstar was thinking. This she-cat was the enemy! She had been trying to kill Dawnstar only moments before. She was an outsider that didn't belong in the Clans.

"I'm Dawnstar, leader of Thunderclan," Dawnstar introduced. "And this is my apprentice, Briarpaw. These words probably don't make much sense to you, but I'll have someone explain everything when we get back to camp. But first, let's check on Riverclan and see how they're doing."

The trio of cats returned to the camp, but the battle was over. Three or four cats lay still, not breathing, not moving, but only one was a Clan cat. It was an aging Riverclan warrior, Icefang, and he would be missed dearly by Riverclan. The others were rogues, one of which was the tom that Briarpaw had killed.

"Spider," Scorch meowed quietly. "You shouldn't have been here."

Briarpaw narrowed her eyes, "Who was this cat to you?"

"My mate," Scorch whispered, touching the black tom's side with her nose. "He wasn't like the rest of us. He was a loner, a good cat, not a rogue. He didn't belong in this battle."

Briarpaw didn't know what to do so she left the she-cat alone and found her Clanmates. Brackenclaw had a nasty scratch down his side, Fallownose's right ear was nearly torn in half, and Tigerfang was limping badly, but they were all there.

"Where's Sandcloud?" Brackenclaw asked, worry tingeing his voice. "Have you seen him Briarpaw?"

The young cat nodded. "He's getting fixed up by Owlface. He'll be with us shortly, I'm sure."

The Thunderclan deputy sighed with relief and sat down. "Those rogues were something else. They clawed me to shreds!"

"I need to tell you something," Briarpaw burst. "Dawnstar asked one of the rogues to join Thunderclan and she said yes. Her name is Scorch, she's the dark ginger she-cat by the black rogue over there."

Brackenclaw's hackles raised and he immediately jumped to his paws. "Dawnstar, what is the meaning of all this? You asked a rogue to join our Clan? You didn't consult me!"

"I'll explain everything when we get home," Dawnstar meowed tiredly. "We need to get back to camp and get our injuries cared for. Go get Scorch and Sandcloud, Briarpaw, and we'll be leaving. Riverclan don't need our help anymore."

Briarpaw growled lowly, but obeyed her leader.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The cats that had fought against the rogues had finally returned to camp, and Jayflight was all over Sandcloud the minute he set foot inside the clearing. She wouldn't detach herself from his side, and it was beginning to irritate Briarpaw.

"Why don't you give him some room to breathe?" She suggested, trying to help her old friend out.

Jayflight hissed loudly and unsheathed her claws. "Why don't you let me take care of my mate?"

"Oh it's official now, is it?" Briarpaw meowed sarcastically. "I've been wondering for quite some time now."

Dawnstar silenced her apprentice with a swift cuff to her ears. "Hush, Briarpaw, you've been in camp for mere moments. There's no reason for you two to be arguing already." She leapt onto the Highrock and called for a Clan meeting. When all the cats gathered around, she began. "Well, I'm sure you're all wondering what happened at Riverclan. Rogues attacked Riverclan, and they needed our help, so help we did. Briarpaw bravely saved me from a vicious attack by two rogues and courageously dragged Sandcloud through the thick of the battle to the medicine cat's den, probably saving his life. I would like to make her a warrior today, but there is something that keeps me from giving her that new title. I received suspicious news from a rogue, Scorch, who has decided to give up her life as a rogue to join Thunderclan. She said that a she-cat gathered all the rogues, pushing them in the direction of the Clans."

There was an audible gasp from the crowd of cats, and Jayflight said what everyone else was thinking.

"Is it Mapleshade?"

The cats began murmuring, but their meows grew louder and louder until Dawnstar couldn't be heard anymore.

"Quiet!" Dawnstar finally shouted, gathering the cats' attention once more. "As I said, Scorch has asked to join Thunderclan, and I've said yes. She will be assessed in two sunrises, when her wounds have healed a bit, and she's well-rested, and we will go from there. It's nearly dawn now, and I want the battle patrol to get checked out by Blizzardtail and then they need to rest. This meeting is now adjourned." The Thunderclan leader jumped off of Highrock and went straight to her den, not saying anything to the cats that swarmed her.

"Well that was strange," Oakpaw meowed quietly from beside Briarpaw, making the she-cat jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. How was the battle? You look a little beat up."

Briarpaw laughed tiredly. "You try fighting rogues on almost no sleep. I dislocated my shoulder against the first cat I met."

"What's all this about Scorch?" Oakpaw asked curiously. "Dawnstar gave us almost no explanation."

Briarpaw shook her head slowly. "I honestly don't know. The way she asked her to join our Clan was very strange, and I was really confused the whole time. But I guess she has her reasons for doing things. I just hope she doesn't regret this in the end."

"You should probably go to sleep," Oakpaw replied, ending the conversation. "I've been up all night wondering about the battle, so I decided to get you some fresh bedding."

Briarpaw purred lowly and touched noses with Oakpaw. "That was really sweet of you."

The tabby tom stared at the ground, obviously embarrassed. He brushed his cheek against Briarpaw's and padded toward Blizzardtail's den, probably to check on his mentor, Sandcloud. A shiver ran through Briarpaw's spine and she was surprised when it wasn't suspicion or anger, but happiness, pure happiness. Oakpaw was a genuinely kind cat.

"I remember that feeling," Scorch meowed softly from behind Briarpaw. The younger she-cat whipped around, unsure of how to act around the unfamiliar cat.

"What feeling?" She asked.

Scorch's pale green eyes shone with sorrow and longing. "The beginnings of love. You may not realize it now, but you will soon enough. I can see it in how you act around him and how you watch him. That's how I was around Spider."

A trace of regret sparked in Briarpaw, but she couldn't let it show. Scorch didn't have to know that she was the one that killed her mate.

"_He was the enemy, there's no need to feel regret,"_ Mapleshade's voice hissed in Briarpaw's head. _"Regret is for the weak. Don't ever forget that."_

The apprentice's pale yellow eyes hardened and she shut out all emotion. Mapleshade was right. There was nothing for her to feel bad about, and as for Oakpaw, what was she thinking? She wasn't going to make the same mistakes as Mapleshade.

"Are you okay, Briarpaw?" Scorch asked, prodding Briarpaw's side.

"I'm fine," Briarpaw snapped. "Go find a nest in the apprentices' den and leave me be."

Scorch looked confused, but obeyed the younger cat, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Briarpaw shook her head to clear her mind and padded into Blizzardtail's den to get her wounds checked out.

"Ah, Briarpaw, it's been awhile," a beautiful black she-cat sauntered toward the bigger apprentice. "Why don't you ever visit? You haven't spoken to me in nearly four moons."

"Ravenpaw," Briarpaw replied stiffly. "I've been busy. You know, what with training to become a warrior and everything. I'm always on some sort of patrol."

"But you're my sister," Ravenpaw answered, hurt tingeing her meow. "We're supposed to be close to one another. We're blood."

Briarpaw sighed, debating on whether or not to tell Ravenpaw the truth. "I'll work on it. Can you check me please so I can go to sleep?" She couldn't bring herself to admit that they weren't littermates.

Ravenpaw nodded and inspected Briarpaw, pausing to sniff at a wound near her shoulder. "I heard that you fought well. Sandcloud couldn't keep quiet about how amazing you were. Oakpaw was getting so riled up that we had to send him away to keep Sandcloud from overdoing it."

Briarpaw laughed quietly. "Oakpaw is a great cat. He'll be a wonderful warrior someday."

"Sandcloud already is one," Ravenpaw reminded her. "Don't you remember how close the two of you were? Even when you've been in fights he always comes back to you. When all the others have given up on you he's always there to tell them that you're really sweet on the inside. He'll be a great leader one day."

That sparked Briarpaw's interest. "You think he'll be a leader? Over me?"

"He has popularity and smarts, not just skills in battle," Ravenpaw replied. "He's an obvious choice. You're not even a warrior yet."

"Are you done yet?" Briarpaw asked angrily. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Just give me something to help my shoulder."

"Your wound will heal without any of my help," Ravenpaw meowed quietly.

Briarpaw hissed lowly. "I meant inside. I dislocated my shoulder earlier and Owlface popped it back into place. He told me to rest, but they needed my help in the battle. Now it hurts."

"That was foolish," Ravenpaw scolded. "You should have listened to him."

Anger was bubbling up inside of Briarpaw so she took a deep breath. "I'm going to sleep now."

Ravenpaw's eyes showed a hint of fear, but her meow betrayed nothing as she said a quick goodbye. "If it gets worse, come back."

Briarpaw stalked out of the den and went to the apprentices' den where Scorch and Oakpaw lay asleep. Something softened in Briarpaw and she didn't feel quite so upset. She lay down and pressed her pelt against Oakpaw's, soon falling asleep. Her dreams were violent, cats ripping each other apart and she woke just before sunhigh to find Oakpaw gone and Scorch still snoring lightly. She got to her paws, her muscles aching from earlier, and left the den, stretching in the sunny clearing. The air had a scent that was bitterly cold and Briarpaw shivered. Leaf-bare was still in full-force and it felt like snow would be coming once more. They'd only had snow fall once and it had melted right away, but things hadn't been easy. With a storm coming their way, all the Clans would soon be in trouble.

"I know you're tired, but could you go hunting?" A cautious meow came from behind Briarpaw.

The young she-cat turned around to see Tigerfang behind her. She dipped her head. "Of course, Tigerfang. Do you know where Oakpaw is? I want to take him."

"He's out on a patrol right now, but you should ask Brackenclaw if he'll go with you." Tigerfang meowed, padding toward the fresh-kill pile.

"But," Briarpaw protested, but the warrior didn't hear her. She didn't want to go hunting with Brackenclaw. The Thunderclan deputy was too talkative and Briarpaw didn't want to get close with him if she was planning on killing him one day. She sighed and headed toward the warriors' den.  
She poked her head inside and hissed Brackenclaw's name. She backed away and sat with her tail wrapped neatly around her paws, waiting for the deputy to emerge.

"Did you need something?" He asked, yawning as he slid out of the den. "I know I should have been up earlier, but that battle sapped up all my energy. I can't do as much as I used to."

"Are you thinking about retiring soon?" Briarpaw questioned, noticing for the first time that Brackenclaw's muzzle was dotted with white hairs.

The Thunderclan deputy laughed deeply. "Not for a long time, I hope."

"Oh, well I wanted to know if you'd like to go hunting with me," Briarpaw meowed quickly. "Tigerfang thought it would be a good idea."

Brackenclaw purred. "Of course, I'd love to go hunting with you. You know, you've been an apprentice for over five moons now and I think your warrior ceremony is well overdue. If you do well today, I'll be sure to tell Dawnstar of your progress."

"I don't think it's so much that she doesn't think I'm ready," she replied, "I think it's just that she doesn't want to provoke Mapleshade. She thinks that if I become a warrior, Mapleshade will somehow be offended or upset, which I think is total fox dung."

"Let's leave camp before some cat overhears you," Brackenclaw meowed, half-jokingly.

They left quickly and were soon out in the forest, where Briarpaw was free to speak her mind.

"Mapleshade doesn't care if I become a warrior and she's not there for it," she meowed as soon as they were alone. "She knows that she's the one that trained me and that's all that matters to her."

Brackenclaw shuffled his paws and stared at the ground. "I don't really think we should talk about this right now, Briarpaw. I understand your concerns, but I also get where Dawnstar is coming from. She's thinking of the entire Clan, not just you, and that's what matters to her."

"Okay, I guess I understand," Briarpaw conceded, and it was true, but she also didn't really care about the entire Clan. She wanted to become a warrior now.

The two cats slunk through the forest, making sure to not make a sound, but the prey wasn't showing itself.

"They must hate the cold as much as we do," Briarpaw growled, "Maybe we should split up, that way we'll cover more ground."

"Very good," Brackenclaw praised, "I'll head over toward Sunningrocks and see if any prey is hiding in those cracks. Why don't you go to Snakerocks, there'll be no snakes out this time of leaf-bare."

Briarpaw nodded and set off toward Snakerocks, hoping that she'd find something to kill, even a little mouse would do.

"Briarpaw," a cat hissed from within a clump of bracken.

The young she-cat nearly jumped out of her fur, but tried to stay composed as she stuck her nose in the dead leaves. "Mapleshade? Is that you?"

"Are you alone now?" came the reply.

"Yes," Briarpaw meowed. "You can come out, Brackenclaw is on the other side of the territory. He went to Sunningrocks."

"I know, I'm not deaf," Mapleshade snapped.

Briarpaw sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws. "We have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

"That's an understatement," Mapleshade chuckled.

"Where are Firekit and Ripplekit?" Briarpaw asked. Even though the kits were irritating, she still had a soft spot for them.

"Dead," Mapleshade answered simply. "They drowned when I was taking them to Riverclan. And then Riverclan wouldn't accept me. So I set out on my own and things have been going pretty well, as you could tell from the battle that I organized. Now, tell me about Clan life. Tell me everything that's happened since I left, leave nothing out."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"There's a new apprentice, Oakpaw," Briarpaw began, "He's been doing very well over the last couple of moons. He's Honeyfur's only surviving kit. She had three, but two of them were sickly."

Mapleshade bared her teeth. "I don't care about a foolish apprentice; I want to know about the important things."

"Brackenclaw is thinking about retiring in a couple of seasons," Briarpaw stammered. She wasn't used to cats talking to her like that anymore. "And Dawnstar only has two more lives; she lost one to greencough last moon. We have two queens nursing kits right now, and Blizzardtail is worried because we're running low on fresh-kill. And now Dawnstar has brought one of the rogues into the Clan."

Mapleshade's eyes widened. "She allowed one of the rogues to join Thunderclan? Dawnstar is more mouse-brained than I thought! Do you know the rogue's name?"

Briarpaw nodded. "It's a ginger she-cat, Scorch. Her mate was Spider and her brother was Flint; they both died in battle."

"I know Flint, but not Scorch," Mapleshade replied. "He was great in battle, but not the brightest. Does Scorch know that I organized the battle with Riverclan?"

"No," Briarpaw shook her head. "She only knows that a she-cat from the Clans did it. But I would tread lightly if I were you."

Mapleshade hissed loudly and unsheathed her claws. "I will not tread lightly until I've had my revenge, Briarpaw. The Clans need to pay for what they've done to me, and you know it."

Since Briarpaw felt similarly toward Thunderclan, she felt as though Mapleshade was speaking everything on Briarpaw's mind. Her eyes brightened as Mapleshade continued talking about her plans to destroy the Clans.

"I managed to take one of Stormstar's lives," She meowed, her amber eyes glowing with hatred. "He's down to one, and it won't be long until he's dead. Ripplestripe didn't put up a fight, but he didn't stand a chance. I killed him with one strike. Now we need to focus on Thunderclan. Sandcloud needs to go, and so does Dawnstar. But before we kill Sandcloud, we need to kill all those that he loves. We'll start with Brackenclaw, then Blizzardtail, and finally Jayflight."

Briarpaw's eyes narrowed to slits and she growled lowly. "Can't we kill Jayflight first?"

"By we, I mean you," Mapleshade explained. "Remember that. If you're discovered, it's all over for you. You'll join me in exile, but we should have no problem surviving and continuing on our mission. We may even be able to start a Clan of our own and take over the entire forest."

Ambition raced through Briarpaw's veins and she shivered, thinking of controlling all the cats in the forest. That was the future she'd always imagined for herself.

"I can see you've thought about this," Mapleshade meowed dangerously. "But don't get any ideas. You need me to get to where you're planning on going."

"Trust me, I know," Briarpaw lied smoothly. But she didn't need Mapleshade anymore. Maybe when she'd been a new apprentice, unsure of herself, but not now. Now she could stand on her own. She could take Mapleshade any day and defeat her.

"Good," Mapleshade purred, "You haven't changed a bit. But we need to wait until you've been made a warrior and the cats won't suspect you as much. They'll think you've forgotten about me."

Briarpaw nodded. "Okay. Meet me at Snakerocks in three sunrises. I _will_ be a warrior by then, I swear it to Starclan."

Mapleshade dipped her head and disappeared into the scarce undergrowth, leaving Briarpaw to continue hunting. The apprentice slunk through the forest, searching for prey, but she only caught a scrawny squirrel, even though she hadn't stopped until sunset. She carried her meager catch back into camp and set it onto the fresh-kill pile, a little disgusted with herself.

"You don't have to act so upset," Jayflight snarled quietly, picking up a mouse. "It's not like the Clan needs or wants you here."

Briarpaw bared her teeth and unsheathed her claws. "It's a good thing the Clan doesn't need you because you'll be gone soon."

Jayflight's eyes widened and she dropped the mouse. "How did you know?"

Briarpaw had no idea what the blue-gray she-cat was talking about, but her pale yellow eyes betrayed nothing.

"How did you know that I was expecting kits?" Jayflight asked. "I haven't told anyone."

That took Briarpaw by surprise. She had no idea that Jayflight was expecting kits. That changed everything. She couldn't kill a cat with living kits inside of her; it was wrong, even for Briarpaw.

"I guess a she-cat just knows," Briarpaw meowed, swallowing her bitterness. "How long until they're kitted?"

Jayflight seemed to restrain her disdain for Briarpaw. "I've only just found out, so I think almost a moon and a half. I can't wait though! Sandcloud's going to be so happy. You have to promise not to tell him, though."

"I promise," Briarpaw meowed honestly. Even though she didn't really like either cat at the moment, she didn't want to take away something that exciting.

"Thank you," Jayflight meowed gratefully. "I always knew there was the sweet kit you used to be underneath your harsh exterior. I think I'm going to tell him now. Is he in the medicine cat's den?"

"I think so," Briarpaw replied. "Is it alright if I take a piece of fresh-kill?" She asked half-jokingly.

Jayflight chuckled. "I don't care. From what I heard from Sandcloud about the battle, you deserve it. I never got to thank you for saving his life. I can't imagine these kits growing up without knowing their father. I think he'd be one of the best the Clans have ever seen."

"I don't doubt it," Briarpaw purred. "I'm going to go eat with Oakpaw now. Find me later to tell me how Sandcloud reacts to the news, even though I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

"I will," Jayflight promised. "I hope we can get past our differences in the future."

"Me too," Briarpaw answered. As the young warrior padded away though, Briarpaw snorted. How could the same she-cat that she'd tried to kill the night before want to become friends? There was something about Jayflight that was almost too forgiving, and Briarpaw didn't think it was smart to trust her this soon. She shook her head and picked up a pitiful-looking thrush, looking around for Oakpaw. She felt a burst of happiness when she saw his familiar tabby pelt over by the elders' den.

"Oakpaw!" She called through the thrush's feathers. "Do you want to share this?"

The younger apprentice nodded and padded toward his friend. "There's only a few mouthfuls on here, are you sure you want to share?"

"Of course," Briarpaw purred, setting the bird down. "It's leaf-bare, so I can't keep the fresh-kill all for ourselves. Besides, my thick fur will keep me warm even if I get down to just skin and bones."

Oakpaw meowed a thank you and they began eating the thrush in silence. Briarpaw couldn't help but feel that Oakpaw was withholding something from her. He was never this quiet when they shared prey. She watched him carefully, but he wasn't suspicious, there was just something in his deep amber eyes that she didn't recognize.

"What do you think of Scorch?" He asked suddenly, glancing at the silver and white she-cat.

Briarpaw swallowed the tiny mouthful of thrush and licked her paw nonchalantly. "I don't really know her. She lost her mate and her brother in that battle, so I don't know why she would want to join us. It's rather strange. And I think she's hiding her true knowledge about the cat that led the rogues to Riverclan."

"Do you think it was Mapleshade?"

Briarpaw cocked her head. "It sounds like something she'd do, doesn't it?"

"I never met her," Oakpaw reminded his friend. "You were the closest cat to her. You'd tell me if you knew something, wouldn't you?"

Briarpaw stared into his eyes. "Of course, Oakpaw. You're the best friend I've had, and I don't want to lose you because of something stupid."

The young tom relaxed and got to his paws. "Thanks. I have to go get rid of the elders' ticks, so wish me luck! I'll see you later."

"Good luck," Briarpaw chuckled, her eyes sparkling.

But as soon as Oakpaw was gone Briarpaw began to feel conflicted. She truly wanted to obey Mapleshade and make her proud of her former apprentice, but she didn't want to ruin the life she'd made for herself in Thunderclan. She'd always dreamed of becoming a leader, and a small part of her told her that following in Mapleshade's pawsteps wasn't how she could get there. But then again, she didn't necessarily have to become a leader by popularity; she could do it by force. It was so confusing! But she couldn't keep playing both sides. Something bad was bound to happen soon.

"I know that scent," a suspicious meow came from behind Briarpaw. "But I can't quite place it."

Briarpaw's eyes widened and she leapt to her paws, whipping around so that she was facing the she-cat. "What scent? Thrush?"

Scorch narrowed her eyes. "No, it's from another cat. Not one from this Clan."

"Oh, I was over by Twolegplace I had a little scuffle with a rogue, maybe you knew him." Briarpaw laughed, licking her chest fur uncomfortably.

Scorch nodded slowly and sat down. "How does this whole Clan thing work? All the cats seem to know one another, but I can't seem to keep any of them straight."

Briarpaw sighed. She wasn't really interested in playing nice with the new she-cat.

"Why don't you ask Darkpatch or Fallownose if they can explain it to you?" Briarpaw suggested. "I'm just an apprentice, so I still don't know everything about the Clan."

Scorch narrowed her eyes and got to her paws. "Fine. I'm sorry for being friendly."

"Oh, put a mouse in it," Briarpaw muttered.

"Briarpaw?" Dawnstar's commanding meow caught the young apprentice's attention. "Come into my den, I need to speak with you."

Briarpaw took one last bite of the thrush and hurried into her leader's den, unsure of what was going on. Dawnstar hadn't been happy with her before the battle, but afterward she'd seemed proud. And Briarpaw couldn't remember doing anything wrong since dawn, besides meeting with Mapleshade, but nobody knew about that. Her yellow eyes widened when she saw Brackenclaw already seated beside Dawnstar. Maybe he'd followed her! What if he'd been assessing her?

"Brackenclaw says that he went hunting with you today," Dawnstar began. "He told me about your opinions on becoming a warrior."

Briarpaw's ears flattened and she stared at the floor. She hadn't realized Brackenclaw would tell Dawnstar what she'd said.

"You were the closest cat to Mapleshade and you know what her moves would be," Dawnstar continued calmly. "If you don't think she'd be upset then I think you should become a warrior sooner than later. Brackenclaw and I will assess you tomorrow, and if you perform as well as I think you will, you may have a naming ceremony tomorrow at sundown."

Briarpaw wriggled with excitement, as though she were a kit again. She knew that she'd perform well tomorrow. It had been five long moons since she'd been apprenticed, and this day couldn't come soon enough.

"You may go back to what you were doing," Dawnstar dismissed her with a flick of her tail.

Briarpaw purred quietly and bounced out of the den, and raced into the elders' den. Oakpaw was pressing a mossball full of mouse bile onto Redwing, the oldest female in Thunderclan. He glanced at her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Let me guess, you'll be a warrior soon," Redwing rasped, her cloudy blue eyes sparkling. "I remember my ceremony like it was only a moon ago."

"I'm sure you do," Graytooth, an elderly tom, chuckled hoarsely. "I remember you telling some kits about your ceremony like it was only a day ago, but maybe that's because it was."

Redwing shot him an irritated look, but Graytooth shook it off and gave Briarpaw an approving nod. "It's not everyday an apprentice becomes a warrior. I think you'll be one of those that they remember for a long time."

"I hope so," Briarpaw meowed. "Is Oakpaw nearly done?"

"We can finish the rest," Graytooth assured the young cat. "You two run along and have fun. Starclan knows that being a warrior has its burdens."


End file.
